Eyeshield Heart
by D-Dawg
Summary: Sena and Suzuna finally hook up after Sena returns from America and begins playing for Enma University.
1. Confession to a Friend

Disclaimer: Any original characters are property of myself and myself only. Eyeshield 21 is a series created by Riichigo Inagaki and Yusuke Murata. All characters of Eyeshield 21 are property of the original creators, Shonen Jump and Viz Media. Any references to the NFL and its players are copyrighted by the NFL and credited to their respective teams.

"Enma, Enma Fight Fight Fight!" was the cheer and the rah rah that was echoing from the group of cheerleaders led by Suzuna Taki as the offense proceeded to march down the field toward another touchdown. Their ace runner Sena Kobayakawa aka Eysheild 21 was dominating the opposing defense as if they were not even there. Blazing by at the speed of light he busted a long run for a touchdown in no time at all. "Hyaaaaa! Go Senaaaaa!" shouted the visibly excited Suzuna.

She loved watching him play, he was so cool running down field inspiring the rest of his team as their current captain. Even though Sena was not the oldest member of the team Unsui and Kurita did not hesitate to award Sena that title. It had been a few weeks since he had started playing for Enma University and already they had two wins under their belt. And with the current score being 53 to 6 in favor of Enma it looked like they would add another "W" to that column.

Although she wouldn't admit it openly to anyone, she had missed him desperately while he had been gone in America playing for Notre Dame these last 6 months. Sure she had kept in contact with him via phone and email but that just wasn't the same as actually being next to him. Over the last couple year she had really grown to love him, although she wasn't sure how he felt about her. She was mortified to even ask him about it for fear of being stuck in the "friend" zone.

One of her fellow cheer leaders must have noticed Suzuna staring off into space and gave her a quick nudge. Suzuna looked at her as if waking up from a dream to hear "Oh, just ask him out already captain." and Suzuna's face turned beet red burning with embarrassment.

"Wh..What the hell are you talking about, I have no i…idea what you mean!" She stammered. This only elicited a chorus of giggles from the other girls and she burned all the more because of it. "Get back to cheering!" she shouted.

The game ended and the team walked off the field after shaking their opponents' hands and they headed off into the locker room. "Great game Sena! You kicked MAXI ass today!" hollered Monta as he patted Sena on the back on his way into the locker room. Sena thanked him and his other teammates for the great game and effort from everyone and told them they could have practice off for the next 2 days as a reward. There was a loud applause in the locker room for the news of 2 days for themselves.

After they got showered and dressed the teammates said their goodbyes and they all started to head home. As Sena and Monta headed out together they were chatting about the next exhibition game when Sena's phone began blaring the anthem of his alma matter Notre Dame. When Monta questioned Sena about the different than normal tone Sena told him "It's a text from my teammate Dante Klausen from America… I wonder what he could want?" Sena opened his phone and began to read the text, "Hey Twinkle Toes! How's it feel being back in Japan? I meant to text you earlier but I've been busy with three a days the last three weeks… coach is killing us . Oh did you ask that girl out…?" at this point Sena began to stammer and nearly dropped the phone without finishing the message. His face immediately turned a fiery red color. And Monta's face too became quite amusing as well.

"WHOOOEEEE! Ask who out Sena, HUH? HUH? HUH?" Monta teased, this only made Sena stammer more.

"Dammit Dante… Monta look its like this… I mean… oh um..." Sena sighed in defeat. "Ok I will tell you but you have to seriously promise not to tell anyone this! I mean it MONTA!" Monta stopped joking and prodding Sena at this realizing how serious it was.

"Ok Sena I promise."

"Seriously Monta, you can't tell anyone not even the other members of the team! I mean it man!"

"Alright Sena I Maxi promise, or may my hands be chopped off and fed to Cerberus."

"…ok" Sena said in a small and defeated voice. "The girl Dante asked about is… is …. Suzuna."

"SUZU-?" Shouted Monta! This elicited a "SHHHHHHHHHHHH!" from Sena who covered the monkey's mouth in the blink of an eye. Monta started to wave his arms in the air and Sena let him go. "What are you so maxi embarrassed about?"

"I… I… I dunno, I've wanted to ask her out for 2 years. I just.. I'm afraid she won't like me back and say no… I'm terrified of it. I don't mind being just her friend… I mean… I dunno… I guess I was just afraid if I said anything it might get weird and she wouldn't even be my friend anymore…"

After a short pause Monta replied, "Dude, I don't think Suzuna would do that Sena. You guys are best friends… And besides, come to think of it she talked about you all the time when you were away in America… in fact she never shut up about you."

"Really?"

"Yeah man she maxi missed you. Even an idiot like me noticed that…" Monta paused rubbing his nose with his large index finger. "HEY you should take her on a date during our days off! You could ask her then!" Monta exclaimed.

"But what if she says no…?" Sena replied sheepishly.

"Hmmm… well its better than never knowing at all, I mean who knows you could've wasted the last 2 years of high school not knowing already! I say go for it!" his friend replied with a large thumbs up.

Sena pondered over this possibility for a few seconds before stuttering' "Y..Yeah. " and then, "Yeah! I'm finally gonna do it! I'm gonna ask out Suzuna!" he shouted with some newfound confidence.

Later that evening Suzuna was sitting in her room reading a magazine and listening to music when she got a text from Sena. She always enjoyed receiving texts from the man she secretly loved but this text was somewhat surprising even for Sena. "Hi Suzuna, sorry I missed you after the game today. I wanted to talk to you about something. Would you maybe want to go to Nagano tomorrow with me for the day… just the two of us?"

"Just the two of us?" She mouthed then she squealed with excitement, normally anytime she got to be with Sena, Monta was always there too. To think that this may actually be a date invitation Suzuna couldn't be happier! "Of course I would Sena! What time?" She sent back in reply. She then waited for what seemed like an eternity for a reply from Sena.

"I'll be by to pick you up around 9 tomorrow?"

"Sure! I can't wait this sounds like fun!" She replied with glee and stretched out her arms and fell back onto her bed. She began imagining the day ahead what could be. She hoped more than anything else that this would mean something more than just being friends.


	2. Confidence

Disclaimer: Any original characters are property of myself and myself only. Eyeshield 21 is a series created by Riichigo Inagaki and Yusuke Murata. All characters of Eyeshield 21 are property of the original creators, Shonen Jump and Viz Media. Any references to the NFL and its players are copyrighted by the NFL and credited to their respective teams.

Sena was excited that Suzuna had accepted his date request to go to Nagano with him the next day, but he was still very nervous about what he should do. He thought over who he could ask for advice on the subject. Monta certainly had no dating experience and neither did Kurita. He was fairly sure Unsui didn't either coming from an all male school before Enma and he was too nervous to ask Mamori or any other female friends he knew. That basically left Riku, and his former teammates from the Devilbats. His first instinct was to go with his former teammates but they all meant a possible leak to Hiruma… and god knew Sena didn't want that demon to get any more dirt on him than he already had.

"Riku it is." He said silently letting out a deep breath as he did. Sena began typing a message into his phone when he was interrupted by an incoming message from his former teammate at Notre Dame, Dante. "Oh no I forgot to return his message from earlier!"

Dante had been the first member of the team besides Clifford to become friends with Sena. Clifford always made Sena nervous, and the only time they did anything it was really formal and stiff. Dante on the other hand was goofy and outgoing and kind of reminded Sena of Monta. The only time Sena became scared of Dante was in practice. Dante was on defense and played strong safety. Unlike the other safties Sena had faced in Japan who were lithe and experts at stripping the ball, Dantewas a hard hittting monster like Shin and almost as fast too. However what made him even more frightening was how his personality on the field changed. He went from being a fun loving goof to a rabid swearing monster who lit people up. In a way he reminded Sena of a combination of Shin, Marco, Yamato, and Gaou. Truly frightening, and he was only a freshman who had just started football the year after the world cup Japan had participated in.

"'Hey what the hell twinkle toes! Did you get my text earlier? I only have limited time to chat now cuz of all the practice hell coach is putting us through!'" Sena frowned at the nickname that he had earned back in the states, and one he had hoped to forget bestowed upon him by his former teammates.

Sena responded "'HAI! Sorry Dante, I totally forgot that you had texted me today. I had a game against another University and I was busy. Sorry to hear about practice, I gave my team the next 2 days off.'"

A few seconds passed and Sena's phone buzzed "'It's ok twinkle toes I know how game day is. You the captain over there? That's great man! I wish I was captain, I would love to have a few days off! You still didn't answer my question, did you ask that Suzuna girl out yet?'"

Even though Sena knew this question was coming he still turned red at the mention of asking Suzuna out. He replied "'No… not yet, She is going with me to Nagano tomorrow though, on..on… a date.'"

"'Wooohooooo goooo buddaaaay! So are you together then?'"

"'Well no, I mean, it's complicated. I hang out pretty frequently like this but Monta usually tags along. And I technically didn't ask her to be my girl friend yet… I don't know if I can work up the courage to ask her out when the time comes though .'"

"'Hmm, all I can tell you is be confident. Women no matter where they are or who they are, love confidence! And if she is the friend you said she was then you shouldn't have any trouble. Be brave Sena you'll find your chance tomorrow. Oh sunsets and ice cream are always a good bet too, at least here anyway. What kind of place is … Nagina anyway?'" Sena couldn't help but chuckle at Dante's misspelling of Nagano, but he did take the other advice seriously.

"Confidence huh…" he trailed off before responding with "'Nagano is a nice area in the country, lots of… um apple trees and pretty views. Oh I hope she will like it… I don't know if she will… oh man now I'm getting even more nervous!'" Sena visibly started to shake a little bit now, he totally didn't take into consideration what there would be to do in Nagano other than the fact that he knew he wouldn't run into anyone from his teammates there.

"'Dammit twerp! There you go losing confidence again, you gotta stop that crap small fry! If it's the scenic type of date then you definitely gotta ask her at sunset man! Chicks love that stuff! And be confident dammit! I mean it you better ask her. I'm gonna text to 2 days from now and if you're not dating the girl you'd never fucking shut up about while you were here state side, I vow I will come to Japan and kick your sorry little ass twinkle toes :D!'" Sena played over in his head the terrible possibility and the likely one that Dante would indeed come to Japan and tear him limb from limb if he didn't do just that.

Sena gulped after the traumatizing thought and responded' "'You're right, thanks for the advice Dante, I needed that.'" Then he tossed his phone to the edge of his desk. He began to rub his temple in angst. "Confidence…" he sighed, maybe tomorrow his luck would finally change and he'd find some off the field for once.


	3. Bus

Disclaimer: Any original characters are property of myself and myself only. Eyeshield 21 is a series created by Riichigo Inagaki and Yusuke Murata. All characters of Eyeshield 21 are property of the original creators, Shonen Jump and Viz Media. Any references to the NFL and its players are copyrighted by the NFL and credited to their respective teams.

It was the morning of their big "date" and Suzuna was pacing back and forth in her bedroom waiting to hear the doorbell ring. She had spent the majority of last night trying to figure out what to wear on their date. Should she dress modestly or show a little skin? She must have tried on dozens of outfits in front of her mirror last night before settling on a pair of khaki capris pants, a light sky blue cami that rode just above her waist line, with a lightly faded denim jacket with copper buttons that cut off just below her elbows. She thought it was modest enough but it still showed a little bit of skin. Hopefully Sena would pick up on that she thought with a smirk.

She thought to herself too what they might do in Nagano. Besides being an area that grew a lot of apples she wasn't too familiar with the place. Having grown up in an urban area for her entire life she didn't get to visit the country too much. Not to say that she wasn't excited anyway, she just didn't know what to expect. Either way she didn't really care where they went, she was just pumped for some alone time with Sena.

Sena set out about a half an hour early from his apartment to go and pick up Suzuna at hers. Sena was still getting used to living on his own, but luckily he didn't have to pay any rent… being a friend of Hiruma had its perks. The hellish former commander of the Devil bats had given each participant of the Christmas Bowl winning team a get out of anything free card. It basically just had a picture of Hiruma on it and the words "Whoever holds this card is to be treated as I would, if said holder is failed to be treated in such a way you shall face the consequences. Signed Yoichi Hiruma." Sena hated using the card and it was actually an accident that his landlord had happened upon it. Sena was opening his wallet to get his ID for the application process when the "Hiruma Hell Card" fell out by accident. Of course upon viewing the card the landlord immediately turned as white as a sheet and approved Sena for an apartment free of charge for life.

It wasn't a long walk to Suzuna's apartment, but he still left early anyway. Once he picked her up they would have to catch a bus on the Enma campus and ride from there to Nagano. Sena did figure out a sort of game plan for the day, but in reality it didn't involve much. Hopefully what he had in mind would be fun for Suzuna though. He started going over in his head how he should greet her and whether or not he should tell her what they were doing or to keep it a secret. These thoughts kept bouncing back and forth in his head while he plodded along the street as he approached his crush's abode.

Sena sighed as he turned the corner and Suzuna's home came into view. His heart began to thud nervously. He tentatively approached the door to her 1st floor apartment took a deep steadying breath and rang the doorbell. He heard a mild scuffling inside and the sound of the deadbolt unlocking and then, the door opened. Suzuna stood there and for a moment Sena just stared at her. She was amazing looking! Sena always thought that Suzuna was cute, but today she was just stunning to him. Maybe it was just the heightened state of emotion he was in but he couldn't believe how beautiful she was when she appeared standing in the doorway.

Suzuna couldn't get over how handsome Sena looked either, he was wearing a tight pair of dark blue jeans and a red shirt with a cobalt colored hoody that was half unzipped. He had grown quite a few inches taller since he had returned from Notre Dame. Not only that but since the three years since the Christmas Bowl he had became quite a bit more chiseled and muscular too. He was no longer the scrawny little lights peed kid, but a true American football heart throb. For a moment the both stood silently, a warm glow beginning to radiate from their cheeks.

When she caught a hold of her senses she said, "Hi Sena, are you ready to go?" then she smiled. Just now she noticed that Sena had also turned a little red since she had opened the door.

He shook his head in an attempt to shake the blood from his face when he noticed her smirking at him. "H..HAI! Are you all set?"

"Yeah, You said we'd be taking a bus from campus right?" She said as she stepped out of the doorway on a pair her inline skates. When she turned to lock her door Sena noticed that the shirt and jacket she was wearing rode a little high, just showing the small of her back when she bent over. The red began rushing back to his face when she turned around. Suzuna did her best to hold back a slight giggle, "_He did notice." _She thought pleased with her choice of outfit already.

Once again Sena stammered "Y..yeah we have to take a bus from there in about 20 minutes, and then it's a short ride to Nagano."

"Just where are we going in Nagano anyway?" she asked curiously as they began heading towards the campus.

Sena smiled a little, just enough that the edges of his lips curled up ever so slightly. "You've never been to Nagano right?"

"No why?"

"Then in that case I'll keep it a surprise." He smiled showing off his pearly whites.

"Huff," Suzuna pouted, "That's no fun!" Sena just smiled and laughed.

A short while later they had arrived and at Enma University and boarded their bus to Nagano. On the way there they chatted about pretty much everything. They talked about how each other were doing in their classes, which professors they hated, and which ones weren't so bad. They spoke of how the football team was doing and about the scrimmage match against another no name university next week. Sena said he would definitely give them his all though no matter how weak the opponent might be and about how it was out of respect and etc. Suzuna loved when Sena talked with such determination and confidence about a subject. But then she always thought it was cute how he would go back and doubt himself two seconds later. His modesty and pure heart definitely were attributed that had drawn her to him. She couldn't ask for a better friend in someone. At this thought she seemed to lower her eyes and sigh a bit. She wished they could be more than friends. She was about to interrupt his football monologue to ask why she wanted it to just be the two of them when the bus driver said that they had arrive in Nagano.

"Looks like we're here already, ready for the surprise?" Sena asked with a strangely confident smile.


	4. Chivalry

Disclaimer: Any original characters are property of myself and myself only. Eyeshield 21 is a series created by Riichigo Inagaki and Yusuke Murata. All characters of Eyeshield 21 are property of the original creators, Shonen Jump and Viz Media. Any references to the NFL and its players are copyrighted by the NFL and credited to their respective teams.

As Suzuna and Sena got of the stepped off the bus and into the small town they were assaulted by the smells of fresh linens and different baked goods. The village was a small quaint place tucked into one of the many rural corners of Nagano. The houses were small here and spaced further apart then in the city. There were rolling hills and mountains and trees in every direction. Suzuna was taking it all in when Sena grabbed her hand. She immediately looked at her hand and turned a crimson color. When she looked back to his face he was smiling with wide excited eyes and he said, "Come on its this way!"

It was usually her that excitedly led a flabbergasted Sena somewhere, not the other way around. She couldn't help but hide her still red cheeks as she let her crush lead her to where ever it was he had in mind.

"Ah here we go. It sure has been a long time." Sena said. He had led them to a long pathway that was lined on each side with towering cedar trees.

"Those trees are huge!" Suzuna gasped. "They're so pretty!"

"Yeah, they're amazing aren't they? They still seem so huge even though it's been a while."

"You've been here before Sena?"

"Yeah my parents used to bring me here when I was little to visit my grandma."

"Your grandma lives here in Nagano?" Suzuna asked curiously.

"She passed away when I was 9." Sena said sullenly.

"Oh, I'm sorry… I… I had no idea."

"It's ok, besides Suzuna hasn't seen the best part of this place yet, come on!" he yelled cheerfully as he started down the path.

Suzuna stood there for a moment and lowered her gaze slightly. "_How stupid of me!" _she thought. "_Of course Sena's grandma had passed, it's been years since he's been here! Stupid, stupid Suzuna!"_ She perked up though at an inquiry from Sena if she was coming and she nodded, "Yeah! Sorry haha!" She started to take off after Sena still feeling stupid for not knowing any better about Sena's deceased grandmother. He said it was ok but she could tell he was still sad she was gone. When she had finally almost caught up to Sena she noticed that he was standing before a large expanse of stairs leading up into the mountain. What she didn't see however was the large cedar branch in her path as she approached Sena, and by the time she did it was too late to stop.

Her skates collided with the substantial piece of wood and she was swept off her feet. She fell and not even Sena's quick feet were fast enough to catch her before she crashed harshly onto the hard ground.

"SUZUNA!" Sena screamed as he dashed over to her at lightspeed. "Are… are you ok?"

Suzuna couldn't tell yet if she was badly hurt but her ankle was hot with pain. She took a deep sharp breath in pain as she tried to stand. "I think I hurt my ankle," she whimpered. "Oh dammit why did this have to happen today of all days! The first time I get a date with Sena…" she stopped after realizing what she had said and covered her mouth with one hand. Her face turned a vibrant array of reds. She clenched her fists and eyes tightly expecting the worst from Sena. _"D..date? N…No..no I just am friends with Suzuna, nothing li…like.. that!" _This was what she expected from the running back. But to her surprise there were no words that came from Sena, just a gentle but firm hand resting on her shoulder as she waited on her hands and knees. She turned her head suddenly to look at him, her face still red with embarrassment. He was staring back smiling, smiling! His cheeks were a hue of strawberries but he was smiling back at her!

"Suzuna…chan," he said happily.

"Se..Sena kun…" she replied. Then "AH!" a sharp tinge of pain.

Snapping out of their little daze Sena stammered, "Ah! Suzuna how is it does it hurt badly? Here let me help you up!"

Sena's strong hands wrapped themselves under Suzuna's shoulders as he carefully and gently brought her to her feet supporting her by pulling one arm over his shoulders. "Is that a little better?" he asked gingerly.

She lightly tapped her injured foot and winced with pain. It wasn't as bad as she had thought but she wouldn't be able to walk on it for a little while. "I think I sprained it. I don't think I can walk on it for a little bit… oooh maybe skates weren't such a good idea."

"Do you want to go home?" He asked sympathetically.

"N…no I mean, we went through all this trouble to get here. I want to see where we were going." She said terrified that their date would end before it even began. But the sight of those stairs didn't do much for her spirit. There was no way she could hobble up all of those stairs even with Sena's support.

Sena smiled and nodded, "Alright then, I'll be your legs."

She looked at him stunned. "What do you…"

Just then the strangely confident football star scooped the cheerleading captain up in his arms and began to dash up the stairs. Suzuna gasped in surprise, she didn't expect Sena to do something so manly and chivalrous all of sudden. At first she thought it would be hell to reach their destination with her ankle sprain. But to her complete surprise her football ace and crush of her life was carrying her up the steps to what could be paradise. He was so strong, much stronger than she remembered. Being close to him like this was intoxicating. He smelled so sweet and she could feel his heart beating faster and faster as he ascended the stairway. She finally knew what it was like to be held in his arms. It was a nice feeling, one that she never wanted to end.


	5. Finally

Disclaimer: Any original characters are property of myself and myself only. Eyeshield 21 is a series created by Riichigo Inagaki and Yusuke Murata. All characters of Eyeshield 21 are property of the original creators, Shonen Jump and Viz Media. Any references to the NFL and its players are copyrighted by the NFL and credited to their respective teams.

It was a good 10 minutes or so before Sena reached the top of the stairway with Suzuna still held in his arms. There was a courtyard in front of them with a few buildings and shrines here and there. One building stood out from the rest, it had a large opening going through the middle of the building and an ornately arched roof. A large heavy rope splayed across the front of the shrine with tassels breaking off from the main rope every couple of feet or so. The building was white with dark brown support beams. It seemed to have a spiritual aura around it that only increased its beauty.

"Here we are , Okusha Shrine…" Sena panted slightly out of breath. He took Suzuna over and sat her down lightly on a short ledge of a wall overlooking the mountainous terrain and forested vista before them. Suzuna took it all in, it was breath taking. Instead of the concrete jungle she was used to there were cedars and other greenery as far as she could see, and the mountains just didn't seem to end. It was like she had traveled back in time to feudal Japan, she could hardly believe her eyes as she mouthed "Wow…"  
"Sena, thi..this is beautiful." She said breathily.

"Y..Yeah, I almost forgot how far the trees stretched out from up here. Just amazing." He trailed off looking into the horizon.

His eyes drifted to Suzuna as she gazed into the landscape. She had grown quite beautiful since he had left for America. She was still thin but nowhere near as scrawny as she had been when they first met. In fact she had developed some subtle but noticeable curves. No longer quite as "flat chested" as she once was Sena blushed at the sight of her now budding bosoms. And her legs were longer and more mesmerizing than they had been when they first met. Her raven colored blue hair blew lightly in the breeze that swept over the mountain as she stared at the landscape before her. Sena couldn't take his eyes off of her, she was so beautiful. He want to tell her but the words always got caught in his throat before he could speak. His tongue always seemed to swell to unspeakable sizes when he wanted to voice his feelings for her. A soft noise pulled him from his thoughts; it was the sound of someone crying. He realized this was Suzuna and he instantly forgot about his own short comings.

"Suzuna? What's wrong, is your ankle huriting?" he asked concerned.

She looked up as if she was confused. She wiped her eyes and replied, "N..No its just… It's just that no one has taken me somewhere this beautiful before. I'm just so happy. Thank you Sena-ku… Sena." She said stuttering over the honorific at the end of his name before realizing what she almost said.

Sena's heart filled with a warm indescribable feeling. Then something strange happened, his usually tied up tongue found a way to speak. His usual hesitance abated a bit and he managed to ask, "Hey Suzuna chan…" he trailed off.

The teenager looked back at him "Yes Sena?"

"Earlier… when you said you were on a date with me…" he trailed off.

Before Sena could continue Suzuna blurted, "OH that! No I didn't mean a..anything like that!" She stuttered fearing rejection. However, the lithe girl managed an, "I mean… unless… you…" she let that hang for Sena hoping against hope for the answer she wanted to hear.

Sena's heart sank at first when she stuttered the first part of her response. He could feel his tongue tying up again inside his mouth, his voice being punched in the stomach before it could emerge from his throat. But the last hanging sentence gave him a strange hope. He took a deep breath and remembered his teammate's words… "_Be confident…" _He took one more deep steadying breath as he thought "_Here I go." _

"Suzuna, would you…" he paused.

"Yes?" she asked longingly.

"Would you go out with me!" Sena shouted before bowing down and squinting his eyes shut cringing while he waited for her answer.

Suzuna's face exploded with every color of red imaginable. _"He asked me… he finally asked me… he does like me!"_ The girl thought. She couldn't believe he had finally worked up the courage to ask her to be his girlfriend! After her moment of surprise passed she almost choked in response, "Yes! Yes of course Sena! I never thought you'd ask me!" She hugged him tightly.

Sena was in shock, he couldn't believe she accepted him. He had always been so terrified that Suzuna had only thought of him as a friend. A plethora of questions burst into Sena's mind. How many years did she like him back? How many years could he have been together with her had he only had the courage to ask. How long did she stare at him from the sidelines with the same longing eyes and feelings that he had watching her from the field. He suddenly felt very small and stupid for waiting this long to ask the girl he loved to be his girlfriend. Little did the dense running back know however, that Suzuna had thought the same thing about him for years.

His expression of shock however gradually changed to one of elation as he remembered that she had said yes. He returned her tight embrace and they held each other for a little while, as the birds sang their cheerful song.

After a few moments the girl released her vice grip from the boy and said dreamily. "Sena you have no idea how long I've wanted for you to ask me that." She smiled.

Sena suddenly felt ashamed for making her wait so long, "I'm sorry Suzuna chan I… I just was afraid you'd turn me down. I thought you just wanted us to be friends, I was terrified of being rejected, terrified of even losing you as a friend." He said earnestly and apologetically. "I… I was always just too darn shy to ever ask you about it." He stammered.

Suzuna looked at Sena knowingly. She couldn't blame the boy for being terrified. She had felt exactly the same way. But that shy part of Sena was one of the reasons she was drawn to him, she thought it made him look cute. And although she was slightly annoyed that it had taken him this long to finally ask her out, she couldn't deny the overwhelming feeling of joy from his proposal. She looked down though in guilt. She always could have asked him too. "It's ok Sena, I… I was the same way." She paused as she found the courage to articulate the rest of her response. "I was afraid of losing you entirely too… I bet you feel just as bad about this as I do ha-ha. She laughed half heartedly.

The boy looked down in embarrassment and she could tell she had hit an area that he was ashamed about. She paused and then smirked deviously before placing her hand on Sena's chin and raising his head before saying, "Thank you Sena. I mean it." She leaned out and gave him a quick peck on the cheek.

For the nth time today, the Enma University's football ace turned the shade of ripe strawberries before passing out into his first girlfriend's lap.


	6. Their First Kiss

Disclaimer: Any original characters are property of myself and myself only. Eyeshield 21 is a series created by Riichigo Inagaki and Yusuke Murata. All characters of Eyeshield 21 are property of the original creators, Shonen Jump and Viz Media. Any references to the NFL and its players are copyrighted by the NFL and credited to their respective teams.

After a few hours of resting at the temple, and once Sena regained consciousness, Suzuna was finally able to hobble on her own; albeit with a little wincing here and there. She had taken off her skates and was glad Sena was with her. The light speed runner dashed off and soon returned with a pair of flip flops that she could wear instead of having her go bare foot back down the mountain path. Her ankle had swollen, became numb to the touch, and was now a dull red color. She had really banged up her ankle, and probably had a high ankle sprain. She wouldn't be able to cheer for a while and that made her sad, especially considering she had just become their ace's new squeeze.

They had decided to cut the date short because of her injury but convened to get lunch before they left. Sena had just the place in mind. This particular area of Nagano was famous for having the best soba noodles in the country and they decided that since they had come all this way they were definitely going to partake on the local favorite. Once they arrived to the busy and bustling noodle restaurant and took their orders they sat at a small table outside the building waiting for their order. The restaurant was of a decent size but not large enough to be over boding, and the smell of rice and sweet pastries filled the air. Bird song played as a pleasant and peaceful ambiance in the wooded area around the restaurant. Suzuna took in the wonder around her again sighing in contentment.

"Sena?" Suzuna asked once she had taken in the scenery.

"Huh?" the boy asked was sipping his soda through a straw.

"I was wondering, how… how long have you liked me?"

Sena couldn't hold back his surprise as he choked at the question blowing bubbles into his soda through the straw. The boy began to twiddle his index fingers together and his eyes began shifting about. "Well…" he took a deep breath, "To be honest, and I know this is probably cliché but, I felt something for you when we first met in San Antonio. I wasn't sure what the feeling was at first but… after the years went by it became stronger like my heart was going to burst whenever I looked at you."

He paused for a moment and took another deep breath before admitting, "I've wanted to tell you for two years now but every time I tried my tongue just seemed to swell up in my mouth and couldn't make the words I wanted to say." He looked down at his drink solemnly as he fiddled with its straw. He suddenly felt small and ashamed again. "I'm sorry I took so long. I didn't mean to make you wait." His hands started to tremble slightly.

Suzuna was filled with a warm and fuzzy feeling of happiness and understanding as she listened to the once again stammering and shy running back. She realized that he was getting upset and began to wave her hands in front of her face stammering, "No, No! It's ok I mean… it was worth the wait." She smiled evenly and added, "I was just curious Sena. I didn't mean to upset you." She frowned.

Sena looked up and smiled lightly at this, not really convinced before conceiting, "Well, at least we are together now." As he threw her a silent smile and stretched his hand out across the table meeting with hers. This caused the teenager across from him to blush. She took his hand and entangled her fingers with his.

After lunch the new couple caught a bus back to Enma University. Suzuna had fallen asleep on the ride home placing her head on Sena's slight but strong shoulder. The boy felt a warm tenderness in his cheeks as he considered her snoozing away peacefully at his side. Her small even breaths were comforting to him in a way that he couldn't explain.

"Now arriving at Enma University" came the announcement over the speaker system.

"Hey Suzuna-chan we're here." the running back said gently.

She only groaned in meager response and snuggled closer to him before stretching out her arm and yawning. "We're there already?" she yawned.

"Yeah, do you need some help up?" he asked.

"No, I should be ok," she said as she wiped the sleepiness from her blue eyes. But as she started to stand a sharp pain ran through her injured ankle. She growled in annoyance and pain and fell back to a sitting position breathing harshly.

"Suzuna! You're still hurt aren't you?" Sena asked in general worry.

"Ohhhhh! Damn it!" she cursed still wincing in pain.

Sena's eyes softened when he looked at her cursing away. He turned away from her and crouched a little bit placing his palms behind his lower back. He looked back at his new girl friend and said offering a sheepish smile, "Hop on, I'll piggy back you home."

Her eyes popped wide at his third show of audacity and forwardness today. She blushed a little but managed to climb onto his back. As he stood he adjusted her position so that he was supporting her lithe frame with both his hands, all the while making sure not to cop too much of a feel while he was at it.

As they got off the bus and started heading for Suzuna's apartment the young girl could feel Sena's chest against her palm as her arms encircled the boy's neck as he carried her. It was toned and firm and she could feel his heart beating calmly. It was a steady comforting feeling…_thud thud, thud thud…_ She smelled his hair and pressed her forehead against the back of his neck.

The boy suddenly heard a faint whisper coming from the girl as they stepped onto her doorstep. "Thank you Sena, thank you for everything." as she started to tear up. He turned a sat her on the doorstep and she steadied herself on one foot gingerly placing the other one down to avoid pain. She unlocked the door and turned to face Sena.

They both stood there in an awkward silence fidgeting about. After a few moments they both blurted out

"I…" and then, "No uh you go first." And then they both started laughing at their silliness.

"You go first Suzuna-chan." He said waving his hand for her to continue.

"Ok. I had a lot of fun today Sena. Thanks for taking me to the shrine. It was really beautiful. Sorry my ankle cut our date short." She frowned.

Sena started scratching the back of his head, "Ah it's not your fault Suzuna-chan. I'm just glad you're okay. I had a lot of fun today too. We'll go back again sometime… if you'd like I mean."

She smiled, "I'd like that very much Sena-kun."

They paused and waited in awkward silence again before Suzuna started to turn away saying "Well good night Sena…" but she was interrupted by his hand grabbing her shoulder and turning her towards him. Her eyes nearly popped out of her head when he pressed his warm lips against hers in a passionate kiss. Hues of deep red instantly appeared all over her face and she closed her eyes embracing his lips with hers. She felt like she was floating as her injured leg curled up behind her.

Sena separated from his new significant other and spouted out a quick, "Good night Suzuna-chan, I'll see you tomorrow!" before disappearing at light speed towards his own apartment.

Suzuna just stood there eyes half open in a daze her head still hanging out and her lips pursed as if the kiss had not ended. She slowly brought her hand to her lips and blinked a few times before hopping insider her apartment, her face still bleeding hues of crimson.


	7. Abodes and Idiots

Disclaimer: Any original characters are property of myself and myself only. Eyeshield 21 is a series created by Riichigo Inagaki and Yusuke Murata. All characters of Eyeshield 21 are property of the original creators, Shonen Jump and Viz Media. Any references to the NFL and its players are copyrighted by the NFL and credited to their respective teams.

Sena had a new spring in his step as he had arrived home to his one bedroom apartment. As he passed through the gateway to his home he almost wanted to pirouette in joy. He tossed his hoody on the hooks next to his door and did the same with his keys. The apartment before him opened into a moderately sized kitchenette complete with a matching black fridge, stove, and dishwasher. There was about a six foot section of granite counter that was interrupted by a single stainless steel sink. One large window was looking out from the kitchen in between the fridge and the counter top over the apartment complex grounds. In the distance one could see Enma University against the horizon.

After getting a drink of limeade from the fridge Sena seemingly have skipped, half jumped into the living room and sprawled out on his simple yet comfortable couch. There was also a small love seat perpendicular to the larger sofa, and they were both a matching dark blue color. In front of them both sat a simple yet sturdy round wooden coffee table that was about four feet in diameter and was covered in football magazines and playbooks. Across from the main couch there was a 42 inch plasma TV that hung on the wall; and although Sena wouldn't openly admit it he had used Hiruma's Hell Card to "acquire" the large entertainment system.

Sena sighed contently as he lay on the couch rubbing his fingers lightly on the beige carpeting that spread everywhere in his apartment save the kitchen and bath. He thought about his rough lips connecting with Suzuna's juicy ones over and over in his mind. His face had stopped being the color of ripened raspberries some time ago but he still felt a warm sensation emanating from his core. He just sat relaxed on his couch for a little letting it soak in. After a while he got up and headed back to a small hallway slightly behind and to the right of his couch. The hall extended for about 8 feet or so with two doors, the one on the left led to a surprisingly large bathroom with a full bath and shower combination and a deep sink along with other necessary porcelain pieces. The other door at the end of the hall led to Sena's bedroom. After using the facilities and taking a quick shower Sena rounded the corner out the bathroom door and proceeded into his room. He flicked on the light switch revealing a large bedroom with a single sized bed with dark blue colored covers. A moderately sized five foot wide desk sat parallel to the bed on the opposite side of the room. His laptop sat on the desk amongst a surprisingly organized stack of football books and other literature he needed for classes. And a small walk in closet held all of his clothes and football equipment comfortably as well.

He looked longingly at the bed for a moment before deciding to take a seat at his desk. He took out his phone and placed it beside his laptop and before he went to open the computer he noticed he had a couple of new text messages. He must not have remembered to check his phone during the date or on his blissful walk home either. After taking up the device in his hand he noticed one of the messages was from Monta and the other was from Dante. Sena couldn't help but mutter under his breath, "Oh jeez."

He opened up Monta's text first and it read: "_Hey Sena, how did your date with Suzuna go :D? Did you ask her out?"_ Sena just made a squinty eyed frowning face, not wanting to reply at all to his friend and risk verbal harassment and teasing. Instead he opened up Dante's message next and read it:

"_Twinkle Toes! How are ya? Do I need to come to Japan and kick your ass for not asking out that little cutie pie? :D!" _

"What's with the smiley faces?" Sena pouted through his still frowning and furrowed face. He sighed before replying to both texts. To Monta he sent: "It went well and yes I did ask her out : ) and she accepted! Thanks for your advice the other day Monta, I really appreciate it!" Sena seemed satisfied with that response and then texted his American teammate:

"No that won't be necessary, I asked her out today in Nagano and she said yes! Thanks for your advice about being confident, it helped!" Sena seemed less satisfied with this response, but only because of how unpredictable he knew his former teammate could be when it came to, well, anything.

He waited for a few moments and wasn't surprised when Monta almost instantaneously replied to his own message.

"_MAXI Congrats Sena! Wait till everyone finds out!" _

Sena eyes grew as big as saucers in a millisecond and he could have sworn his jaw must have slammed against his desk. He rapidly texted back, _"DON'T YOU DARE! You promised me you wouldn't tell anyone!"_

Sena anxiously waited for Monta to return his text. The minutes seemed to last hours before his phone started to vibrate. _"You're right. Sorry Sena, I won't tell anyone :(. They're just going to find out eventually anyway. But I promise I won't tell anyone. Even though it's MAXI tempting! Either way congrats, I'm going to hit the sack. See you tomorrow in class." _

Sena visibly calmed from this but still wasn't sure if he trusted Monta to keep his word. The wide receiver had let other secrets slip before. And Sena blanched for a moment as he considered what might happen if Hiruma was still on their team and had found out about his new girlfriend. The running back quickly put that thought out of mind trying not to think about the grim possibilities. After waiting a few more moments for a reply from Dante he figured the safety must be sleeping and decided to get some Z's himself.

Suzuna leaned back against her front door clutching her chest just above her heart sighing deeply and burning bright red.

"_My first kiss…"_ she thought with an overwhelming mix of pleasant emotions. A mischievous smirk spread across her face as she considered how daring Sena had been. Normally the reclusive football star wouldn't be so bold, but she had to admit she liked it.

She managed to hobble over to her own kitchen and place her keys on the small table next to the fridge. She unceremoniously tossed her incline skates beside the door behind her while she gingerly took a seat at the table to look at her ankle. After carefully sliding off the flip flops that Sena had bought her she assessed the damage. It was definitely swollen but it no longer hurt when touched. The area around her ankle was a dull purple color and it looked like she would have to hobble around for a while until it got better. Perhaps she would skip class tomorrow. She only had one after all, and she didn't think it would be the end of the world if she missed one introduction to health class. Upon the decision to play hooky tomorrow she then managed to get up and hop on one foot to her living room.

Unlike Sena's living room Suzuna only had a single sofa and a bean bag chair sitting around a small three by two foot rectangular glass coffee table. There was however another large 42 inch plasma television courtesy of the Hiruma Hell Card; which, of course, Suzuna was not embarrassed about using.

Instead of plopping down on her own couch she began hopping on her good foot towards her bedroom at the end of her hall way. She passed the bathroom on the left hand side and her small utility room with a washer and drier on the right before entering her surprisingly girly bedroom. The walls were a light pink color and her bed had white sheets with pink lacing. There were a few teddy bears on her bed and a small desk at the foot of it. Her desk also held a laptop and her school books, as well as a number of teen magazines and a stereo too.

She managed to make it over to her bed and she sprawled out on the soft white and pink comforter. The girl pulled one of her teddy bears close to her bosom and let out a big sigh of contentment. A small smile seemed to have been glued to her face since she had parted lips with Sena during her first kiss. The warm flow of blood rushed to her face again as she thought about the smooch her new boyfriend had left her with only a few minutes ago.

"_So this is what it's like," _she thought sighing in pleasure. She continued to nuzzle her oversized teddy bear, pretending it was Sena when a sudden vibration near her pelvis made her cry out in surprise. She took her phone out of her pocket and looked to see who was calling her. Across the screen the words "Idiot Brother" were typed out and she moaned rolling her eyes. "Oh! What the hell does he want?"

"Hello?" she said masking her annoyance at the idiotic interrupter of her fantasy.

"Aha-ha hello dear sister! How are you doing this fine evening?"

"Good and bad, I hurt my ankle pretty bad today?"

"Oh did you fall on your skates?"

Suzuna suppressed a growl of frustration and answered with her eye twitching, "Maybe I did and maybe I didn't. What do you want?"

"Oh, I was going to ask if you wanted to come cheer for my team this weekend but since you hurt your ankle it's ok Aha-ha!" he laughed before adding, "How was the good part of your day, before you broke your ankle?"

Suzuna paused for a moment, letting her mind drift back to the day's events. She held her breath for a moment before letting out an airy "Amazing. Sena took me to Nagano and we had a lot of fun."

"So he finally asked you out?" The idiot asked without a second thought.

Still daydreaming and without thinking, Suzuna replied with a drawn out and breathy "Yeah."

"Aha-ha congratulations dearest sister! Oh sorry but I have to go now. I will talk to you later ok Aha-ha!" He chipped too quickly before hanging up the phone.

Suzuna immediately snapped out of her daydream stammering and stuttering and turning a bright red of a different kind. Anxiety and fear filled her red face as she tried calling her idiotic sibling back; all the while cursing, "Oh no! Oh no, oh no, oh no, oh no! Shit! Shit! Shit!"


	8. Accusations

Disclaimer: Any original characters are property of myself and myself only. Eyeshield 21 is a series created by Riichigo Inagaki and Yusuke Murata. All characters of Eyeshield 21 are property of the original creators, Shonen Jump and Viz Media. Any references to the NFL and its players are copyrighted by the NFL and credited to their respective teams.

The day started off like any other normal morning for Sena Kobayakawa. He turned off his alarm clock on the nightstand next to his bed while he rolled out of his bed and onto his feet. Yawning groggily he made his way to the bathroom and took a quick shower before dressing into his university uniform. He made himself a quick breakfast of toast and jam with some orange juice. His pace continued at its normal rate until an unusually early knock on his door aroused his still tired attention.

"Oi, Sena! Hurry up or we're going to be late for the study session in English!" he heard Monta's muffled yell through his door.

Sena pursed his lips in confusion mouthing the words "Study session?" before his eyes widened in realization. "Oh Crap!" he shouted, "I'll be out in a second Monta!" The running back then proceeded to dash about his apartment like a chicken with his head cut off. He had completely forgotten to set his alarm an hour earlier for the scheduled pre-class study session after all that had transpired the day before. He quickly bolted back to his room and grabbed his books and laptop, squeezing them into his backpack before darting out the door to meet Monta outside his apartment.

"Sorry Monta! I totally forgot about the session and didn't set my alarm for earlier!"

"It's ok Sena I didn't forget but overslept anyway, WHOOEEEE! The professor is gonna kill us if we're late again!" With that the pair of athletes took off at full speed in the direction of Enma University.

After barely making it in time for the review session and sitting through the ensuing class Sena and Monta let out a sigh of relief. The both headed away from the classroom and entered one of the small dining halls on campus for a quick lunch before their other classes were scheduled to begin. While they began munching Monta couldn't help but ask, "So… Sena. How was the date?" grinning mischievously all the while.

Sena nearly choked on his dumplings as his apish friend jabbed him with the question. He turned red again and began to stutter, "M..Monta! Someone might hear you!"

"Oh come on Sena! What's so embarrassing about it? I bet if everyone knew they'd be happy for you two! And you still didn't answer my question." the monkey-like boy responded feigning some hurt.

Sena shrank down in his seat darting his eyes back and forth. Once he was sure no one was around he leaned forward and whispered, "It went great, better than expected but… Suzuna twisted her ankle really bad." He looked down forlornly, but then smiled slightly adding, "I had to carry her."

Monta just smirked in slight jealousy. "I bet you enjoyed that." He added with an exaggerated wink and thumbs up.

Sena only smiled sheepishly, not admitting to anything, but also not denying it either.

After glancing at his watch the receiver gasped,"Oh crap I got to get to my economics class. I'll see you later Sena." as he took off jogging to his class.

Sena waved to his friend as he watched the simian receiver gallivant off to his next class. Sena's next class was intro to health with Riku, Mizumachi, and Suzuna. The boy tinted a shade of red as he considered sitting next to Suzuna in class now that she was no longer just a friend. The boy continued to ponder the scenario as he made his way to the health classroom. To his surprise however, Suzuna was not waiting in the classroom like she normally was when he arrived. Instead he saw Mizumachi and Riku sitting at the back of the room looking bored as usual. Suzuna's usual seat was empty. Sena began to walk towards the back of the room and when Mizumachi noticed he was there. A lecherous grin spread across the lineman's face.

"Hey guys, where's…" Sena started to say but was cut off.

"You're girlfriend?" the lineman interrupted with a congratulatory smile as he patted Sena on the back.

Sena's world stopped, he stood stock still in shock. His jaw dropped about ten feet and his eye's nearly lurched out of his sockets as he stood there stuttering and sputtering wordlessly.

"It's about time you finally asked her out." Riku replied blasely but with a slight smile.

"Congratulations Cap'n!" Mizumachi added still smacking his teammates back and grinning earnestly.

Sena's brain was still reacting to the news that somehow his teammates had found out about Suzuna. As his mind was rebooting from the initial shock his stuttering began to congeal into a sentence, "When did you g..guys f..find out!"

"Last night," they bother chirped in unision.

"Who else knows?" the running back rapidly replied.

"Who doesn't hahaha!" Mizumachi blurted.

Sena started to fizzle out once again, his eyes going white he passed out onto the floor. He laid there twitching unconscious while both of his teammates looked down at him in confusion.

"Jeez what's his problem?" Mizumachi muttered between fishy lips while digging his pinky finger into his ear.

"You just have to get used to it Mizumachi, here help me take him to the nurse." Riku sighed in annoyance and slight amusement.

Sena awoke to find himself in the medical wellness center. He sat up on the bed and began rubbing his temple. He began to wonder what happened and why he was here before he remembered what had transpired a few moments ago.

"How could they know I asked Suzuna out?" he stressed. "The only other people who know are Suzuna, Dante, and…" then it dawned on him. He let a repressed annoyed growl out before angrily whispering, "MONTA!" He quickly grabbed up his belongings and dashed out of the medical domicile at light speed leaving a trail of papers and surprised nurses in his wake.

_"I can't believe he told everyone! That no good chimp faced ape!" _the disdained athlete cursed as he bolted across campus to find his simian teammate. He knew that Monta only had one more class after his economics course and he intended to intercept his teammate after he got out from there. Sena's timing could not have been more perfect because as he rounded the corner to approach Monta's last class the receiver had just walked out the door. Sena stamped his foot on the ground and shot his friend a look that could frighten even Cerberus.

"Hey Se..na… what's wro?" before Monta could finish his hesitant query the captain of Enma's football team shouted at him.

"You no damn well what's wrong Monta! How could you tell everyone after I specifically asked you not to?"

"Wait? What? I? Huh?"

"Don't play dumb Monta, I know you told Riku, Mizumachi, and whoever else about Suzuna and me! How could you?" the torn running back cried tersely jabbing his finger at Monta's chest.

"Sena I didn't," He started to reply breathlessly a look of sadness and worry creeping into his face.

"Bull shit Monta! No one else besides you and Dante knew, and he's in America! You know what? Whatever! Don't talk to me anymore!" Sena spat in anger. He then dug his feet into the ground taking off in the opposite direction of his former friend.

Monta just stared at the disappearing running back dumbfounded and hurt as a number of curious onlookers gawked at the wrongly accused receiver. "But I didn't say a word," he uttered in the smallest voice he could manage as his hand reached out towards his upset friend.


	9. Mistakes

Disclaimer: Any original characters are property of myself and myself only. Eyeshield 21 is a series created by Riichigo Inagaki and Yusuke Murata. All characters of Eyeshield 21 are property of the original creators, Shonen Jump and Viz Media. Any references to the NFL and its players are copyrighted by the NFL and credited to their respective teams.

The ace running back bolted away in rage. He couldn't believe that his best friend would betray his trust and tell all of his teammates about Suzuna. Sena marched home at an accelerated pace with a furrowed brow the whole time. His rage was undeniable. Anyone that came across the athlete's path paled away in uncertain fear as the boy left a trail of debris blowing in his wake.

Sena quickly arrived at his apartment and tossed his bag aside in anger as he stomped to the table in his kitchen. He jerked the chair out from under the platform and sat down with an exhausted sigh. He began to rub his temple in an attempt to calm himself. Perhaps he was getting too worked up over this. Without even realizing it the running back was already reverting back to his contradictory self. His rage was still there, but he had at least begun to calm down a little bit.

The dashing young football player sighed again as he leaned back in his chair. He wiped his palm down his face and shifted it to scratch the back of his head.

"Why did he have to do that?" he asked in dismay.

The teen then stood and made his way back to his bedroom with a weary look in his eye. He hastily changed into a pair of jeans and a black and white checkered shirt. Sena was about to spin and collapse onto his bed when he noticed his phone was sitting on his desk. The football player pursed his lips in confusion, "I must have forgotten it this morning," he muttered.

Sena picked up the mobile device and was alarmed to see he had over 20 text messages in his inbox. "Holy Crap!" he yelled! Sena quickly skimmed over the many notes of congratulations from various teammates, cringing with each one. One message in particular made his heart drop in concern however. It was a message from Suzuna saying, "_Sena where are you! Why aren't you talking to me? Please call me when you get this :'(."_

"Oh no!" Sena stuttered in disbelief. After looking back at a few other texts from Suzuna prior to that one stating things like: "_Sena, I need to talk to you. Something happened last night __!"_ His heart began to beat quickly and awkwardly as if it had jumped into his throat. The star runner wasted no time in bolting out of his door and towards his girlfriends abode.

"Where is he? Why won't he call me?" Suzuna said between sobs. She had been trying to get a hold of her new boyfriend all morning and afternoon but he hadn't so much as replied to her attempts at contact. She tried futilely to wipe the tears from her eyes sniffing, "Is he that mad at me because of the slip up and my fucking idiot brother?"

The poor crying teen sat on her bed cradling a large teddy bear rocking back and forth slightly. She thought Sena was ignoring her because it was all her fault that her brother had told everyone their secret. She was angry, upset, and distraught over the whole situation and she felt utterly powerless to do anything about it. Tears had been flowing from her eyes for most of the day and her cheeks and nose were raw from the deluge.

A sudden and harsh series of knocks on her door scared Suzuna, startling the girl from her self imposed depression. At first she clutched her bear tighter to her chest but was put at ease once she recognized Sena's voice hollering her name.

"Suzuna! Suzuna are you ok? Did something happen?" Her boyfriend shouted in concern. As strange as it sounds she was glad to hear the worry and concern in his calls, at least it meant he still cared for her.

The girl managed to hobble her way rather quickly to her door and rasp the gateway open. She looked upon her football star and she broke down, "Sena," she croaked as she wrapped her arms around him in a tight embrace her tears once again erupting from her bloodshot eyes.

Sena was shocked when she had embraced him and began sobbing heavily into his shoulder. He returned her embrace. Horrified for his girlfriend he tried to calm her. "Shh, shh, shhh, it's ok Suzuna I'm here. I'm here. Come on lets go inside and you can tell me what happened."

She looked up at him with wide watery eyes, surprise clearly showing on her face. He just gave her a small comforting smile and she nodded in response. She let him help her over to the couch in her living room and he gently sat her down on the piece of furniture. He sat beside her and began to gently rub his right hand on her upper back. She rubbed her eyes again and took a couple of deep sobbing breaths before steadying herself.

"I guess you got all the 'congratulation' texts from everyone too?" she whimpered.

Sena's eyes widened and he said in a small barely audible voice, "Yeah…"

The girl suddenly went into a rapid fire tearful apology. "I'm so sorry Sena; it's all my fault I know you didn't want people to find out this way! I'm so stupid, idiot, idiot, idiot!"

"What do you mean?"

The girl looked at Sena chewing her lip while trying to hold back more tears. She averted her gaze and clenched her fists on her knees.

Sena gaped "It was YOU?"

"I'm sorry," the girl cried. "My idiot brother called me last night and I accidently let it slip that you had asked me out, and the fucking blabber mouth went and told everyone in the god damn country about it!" she said tersely waving her hands about in an aggressive matter.

"I didn't want anyone to find out about us like this either Sena… I'm so sorry." The cheerleader sobbed digging her face into his chest.

Sena couldn't respond, he was in shock from the revelation that it was Taki and not Monta who had let the word out, and once more that it was Suzuna who had accidently popped the secret. He cringed in frustration and gritted his teeth in anguish. Part of him was furious with Taki for telling everyone and part of him was angry at Suzuna for telling him in the first place. He was torn between being sympathetic for his girlfriend and being mad at her at the same time. A nearly inaudible whimper broke his sullen stare.

"Does…does this mean you don't want to be with me anymore?" his girlfriend choked trying unsuccessfully to hold back her tears.

Sena's eyes burst open in fear and shock. He grabbed her quickly by the shoulders saying, "No! Not at all! Of course I want to be with you! Don't say that! It's just… I… I…" he sighed in utter defeat. He pulled away from the girl and leaned forward into a slouch. "I forgot my phone today at my apartment and I didn't find out until health class today that the others knew." Sena clenched his fists in frustration.

"I blamed Monta today for telling everyone because he was the only other person who knew about this. I'm such an asshole, he gave me the confidence to ask you out in the first place, and I blew up in his face in front of his whole class." Sena cupped his face with his hands struggling to fight back his own tears. "I'm such a clueless insensitive jerk!" He cursed.

A small but gentle hand touched his cheek commanding his attention. "No you're not, Sena Kobayakawa. You are the most sensitive and loving person I know. You didn't know. How could you have? Besides I'm the one to blame here. I was just so caught up in our…" the teen paused to blush before continuing, "kiss… that when Taki asked if you had finally asked me out I said yes without realizing it." She trailed off taking her hand away from Sena's face in embarrassment and shame.

He took her hand before she could shrink away too far and squeezed it tightly. "It's ok Suzuna-chan, I don't blame you for letting it slip to your brother. And maybe it wasn't how I wanted everyone to find out, but I still want to be with you." The boy offered her a shy smile before offering, "They would have found out eventually anyway. And… and now we don't have to hide anything either." He smiled cheerfully for the first time all day since his fight with Monta.

"But we have to make this right by Monta, I was a jerk to him and he didn't do anything to deserve it." He said dejectedly. "Can you walk?"

The blue eyed girl looked up at him with wide eyes and smiled lightly. She went to stand and tapped her injured foot lightly on the floor, wincing slightly as she did. She shrugged and said, "Well if I can't I guess you'll have to just carry me again." She smiled mischievously adding a wink to her boyfriend.

Sena did end up carrying Suzuna piggyback style. Her ankle was still nowhere near healed enough to keep pace with the athletic teen, but she gladly accepted her position on her all star chariot. They still made very good time considering Sena's extra payload. The running back's physical condition was perfect and his stamina was incredible. Suzuna had to catch herself from thinking of Sena without a shirt on more than one occasion during her little ride.

After a few minutes the couple arrived at Monta's studio apartment. Sena crouched down and lightly let Suzuna off his back to stand beside her. They both stood anxiously as if waiting for the other to ring the doorbell. Suzuna nudged her beloved a little harder than she intended to and Sena juked in surprise, rubbing his arm where she had elbowed him. The running back tentatively reached out and pressed the button that would summon the apartment's inhabitant.

The couple waited patiently as they heard their apish friend murmur some sort of reply from inside the housing unit. They held their breath when they heard the deadbolt unlock as their simian pal opened the door. The receiver's eyes widened in surprise at his unexpected visitors before they narrowed again and he solemnly acknowledged them. "Suzuna… Sena…"

An awkward silence fell on the trio and Sean stood shuffling his feet. The running back began to scratch the back of his head and exhaled the breath he had been unconsciously holding before saying, "Monta… about earlier. I… I am sorry. I had no right to blame you for everyone finding out about me and… and Suzuna. I was a jerk and I want to apologize."

Monta stared at his friend and crossed his arms sticking his nose up and away from the running back.

Another awkward silence befell the group before Suzuna offered, "It's all my fault Monta. I let it slip while talking to my idiot brother last night and he told everyone before I could stop him. Sena forgot his phone this morning when you guys were rushing to your study session and didn't get any of my messages. So if you have to be mad at someone, please be mad at me. Don't take it out on Sena." The blue haired beauty said looking down with sadness in her eyes.

Monta looked back at the couple his arms uncrossing in realization. The receiver began to rub the back of his neck with one hand and sighed in defeat. "Aw, Suzuna that's ok. I'm can't be mad at you for that. Sena may have surprised me earlier with his outburst but I can see where he was coming from." He paused to punch Sena in the opposite arm that Suzuna had earlier elbowed. "But that still doesn't excuse you for blaming me you bastard! I told you I wouldn't tell anyone and I didn't!"

The couple looked surprised but then nodded in sad agreement. But then the monkey faced teen let out an exaggerated chuckle and then offered his palm to his captain. "Friends?"

A look of relief crossed the running back's face. He took his companions hand and shook it firmly. "Friends." He said.

Suzuna was smiling again and she hopped forward to Monta to give the receiver a warm hug and whispered in his ear, "Thank you Monta, you're a good friend."

The simian teen blushed slightly and began to scratch his nose tape as the girl separated from him. Sena crouched down again and the lithe cheerleader hopped on his back. He stood up supporting her thighs with his strong hands and they both waved at Monta as they dashed off. Monta waved back at the disappearing couple and muttered with a chide smile before returning to his apartment, "It's about damn time."


	10. Announcement

Disclaimer: Any original characters are property of myself and myself only. Eyeshield 21 is a series created by Riichigo Inagaki and Yusuke Murata. All characters of Eyeshield 21 are property of the original creators, Shonen Jump and Viz Media. Any references to the NFL and its players are copyrighted by the NFL and credited to their respective teams.

It had been about a week after Sena's and Monta's fight and the teammate had resumed their normal antics and habits as per normal. The team had gone back to practicing and were preparing for their final skirmish game before the beginning of the fall tournament in three month's time.

Sena had to live with nearly constant cat calling from Mizumachi and Kotaro. However their playful jeers had recently decreased thanks to a few of Suzuna's murderous glances. Other members of his team were more supportive and less teasing towards their captain. Namely Monta and Kurita we're very supportive of the running back and his new fling; although Sena had almost been crushed to certain death when he was hugged by the rotund lineman. Unsui and Riku remained congratulatory but neutral, but a small part of the elder Kongo brother was jealous considering his patriarchal schooling prior to his arrival at Enma.

Suzuna even had to deal with some flak from the rest of the cheer leaders too but she managed to keep her squad in line. She may not have been able to cheer because of her ankle, but she still mandated practice, and that meant they would pay for any jeers sent her way. Truthfully most of the punishment Suzuna dealt out was just a front. Deep down she was very happy everyone was accepting of her and Sena and she was sure that Sena felt the same way.

Afternoon practice was just about to end when the team manager Juri Sawai called in the team for an announcement. The former Bando Spider manager had gone to Enma following her boyfriend Kotaro and, since she was the most experienced person for the job was "nominated" to be Enma's manager. As the group of sweaty and tired athletes surrounded the sky blue haired girl she held up her clipboard and cleared her throat.

"As some of you know, Football Monthly is doing an exhibition about a different college team and their players every month. This upcoming June edition is going to be Enma University." This brought a small ruckus of cheers and hoots among the circle of football stars. "One of their editors contacted us and asked us to be ready for an interview session this weekend and also to provide them with 40 times, max bench weights, and other menial things like height and weight. So that means tomorrow in lieu of afternoon practice we will be recording these things instead. So do your best!"

The group of ball players all roared in agreement and began to meander to the locker room. Sena however went towards the sidelines to talk to Suzuna for a moment before heading back over to the throng. Mizumachi let out an exaggerated "Awww" and then caught a flying roller blade to the face for his efforts. A handful of the team chuckled at his misfortune and a roar of laughter erupted from the cheering squad. Kurita threw the downed lineman over his shoulder and began shaking his head as they headed into the locker room.

After the team showered and changed into their casual clothing they all headed out of the locker room together and began to part ways. Kurita and Unsui said they'd help take the still swooning Mizumachi home and headed toward the tactless blondes home supporting the somewhat concuss leviathan. Kotaro took off on his own path with Juri on his arm and Riku waved a goodbye before also setting off. The remaining trio of Monta, Sena, and Suzuna also said their goodbyes and began taking a leisurely pace home towards their own apartments.

As they trotted along Suzuna laced her fingers with Sena's and the couple held hands. They were more at ease in the presence of Monta than some of their other teammates so this was an easy feat for the shy teens. It wasn't long before the trio started to talk about the skills combine they were going to have tomorrow.

"I wonder how much stronger Kurita is now with a few years of college under his belt." Monta queried.

Sena blanched saying, "If the congratulation hug I got from him is any indication I would say MUCH stronger!" This drew a laugh from his girlfriend and Monta couldn't help but chuckle as well.

"I can't wait to see how much stronger I've gotten either though. It really has been a while since we actually recorded our max reps. Man, that had to have been senior year in High School." Monta stated.

"Really? That long ago?" Suzuna asked out of curiosity.

"I think so. We never really focused on that stuff. We were always focusing on our next opponent to worry about official skill sets like that." The apish teen offered.

"That's true I guess. I'm actually curious as well. They really focused on strength training a lot when I was in America… and I'm curious to see my 40 speed as well." Sena trailed off speaking more to himself than his friends.

"Why? It will be 4.2 seconds like always right?" Suzuna asked with a tint of confusion.

Sena just nodded and scratched his chin thoughtfully. "Maybe…" he conceded. His friends obviously knew he was hiding something and exchanged curious glances at one another.

"What do you mean maybe?" Monta asked incredulously.

The running back jumped slightly at the tone of Monta's inquiry and began to wave his hands back and forth stuttering, "No no nothing like that! I mean I know… know I can run the 40 in 4.2 se..seconds." But then his expression grew darkly serious, "But I think I can go faster…"

His girlfriend and his best friend both froze in their tracks and turned to regard the runner. Their eyes were wide but deadly serious. Monta just stared at is friend in stark amazement not saying anything. Suzuna however burst into a smile and began to jump up and down slightly still favoring her good ankle.

"That's amazing Sena! Can you really break the light speed barrier?" his girlfriend squeaked enthusiastically.

Sena looked to her and nodded solemnly before stuttering a, "May… maybe?" The running back offered a sheepish smile and began to laugh lightly with a doubtful tone.

Both of his friends just blanched at his typical self doubt and Suzuna gave him a quick pinch. "Quit doubting yourself!" she scolded. Then she leaned in close so that only he could hear her and she whispered into his ear, "I know you can do it, and if you do I'll give you a kiss this time!"

Enma University's ace running back erupted into the shades of ripe strawberries.


	11. Weight Exchange

Disclaimer: Any original characters are property of myself and myself only. Eyeshield 21 is a series created by Riichigo Inagaki and Yusuke Murata. All characters of Eyeshield 21 are property of the original creators, Shonen Jump and Viz Media. Any references to the NFL and its players are copyrighted by the NFL and credited to their respective teams.

When Sena and Monta arrived at the weight room for the first of the day's physical tests they were greeted by Kurita and Riku.

"Hey Sena, hey Monta!" the massive lineman jovially greeted, his mass bouncing up and down with joy.

"You sure seem fired up Kurita." Sena said knowingly.

"Of course, I intend to finally break my personal best and beat Gao!" he said with a fire burning in his eyes.

His teammates gave an encouraging thumbs up to the lineman. Monta glanced around surprised to see only the four of them had arrived.

"Where's everybody else?" the simian receiver asked with a raised brow.

"Unsui went to pick up Mr. Kumabukuro at the main office." Riku chimed in.

"…And Mizumachi and Kotaro are on their way as well. Also our new transfer student is arriving today as well." Kurita added.

"We're getting a transfer student? From another District?" Sena queried having not known about the development.

"No. Apparently he is from America. All we heard is that his father had to make an urgent transfer to Japan for his job and that his son had requested to play American Football at a university somewhere and Enma happened to be the closest." Riku said blasely.

"America huh? I wonder how good he is?" Monta pondered while scratching at his nose tape.

Before anyone could pose another question on the subject Juri and Suzuna entered the room with Unsui and Mr. Kumabukuro. Juri offered a salutation, "Hey everyone. I guess Kotaro and Mizumachi aren't here yet?" The quartet of players shook their heads 'no' in response and the manager continued with a sigh, "Go figure… oh well. I guess we can get started with the people who are here until those two knuckle heads and the new guy gets here."

Mr. Kumabukuro gestured towards everyone with a warm smile and a friendly wave. The afro on his head hadn't changed at all since the last time Sena and the others had seen him. The sports analyst took out his pen and licked the tip of it as he flipped open his notepad. He began muttering inaudibly, "Let's see here Enma University… here we go. Bench press… uh huh, check."

"Hello everyone, I'd like to thank you for having me out here to Enma University for Football Monthly's exhibition on College teams that will be entering the fall tournament for the Rice Bowl. Today I will be interviewing all of the players individually for their respective parts of the article. Also I will be taking down your statistics for the fans." After letting out a deep sigh his formal introduction and switched into a more casual tone, "Who would like to go first?"

Kurita nearly shook the weights off the walls as he crashed towards the bench press. Everyone couldn't help but laugh at the lineman's enthusiasm. After putting a number of very large weights on the bar Kurita cheerfully said, "Some one spot me." Everyone in the room blanched and gave the mammoth man an incredulous stare.

"_Yeah right, who the hell could spot you?"_ They all thought in unison.

Just then a large ruckus broke into the room led by Mizumachi. The team turned to regard the trio and noticed that Kotaro was also with the gangly lineman. The third member of the group was a very tall only about five inches shorter than Mizumachi. He had rich chestnut red hair and a two pronged spiky goatee of the same color. He was very well built too, as if the statue of David had come to life. He carried himself with a assured confidence. Sena could swear he looked eerily familiar.

"Hey sorry we're late. Mizumachi wasn't very smart about our route to get the new guy." Kotaro complained.

"We got him didn't we?" Mizumachi pouted.

The new guy took a step forward and bowed deeply, his shaggy red hair hanging loosely. "Nice… to meet all of you. Sorry if my Japanese ain't good, I haven't practiced for a while." He said with a deep voice.

Sena's heart almost jumped into his throat, "_Th..That voice! It… It couldn't be!"_ The running back's jaw dropped and his arm flew in the direction of the unknown teen. Sena tried to bring forth his voice but it got stuck in his throat and all that came out was a dry rasping sound.

Suzuna looked at her beloved and with a quirked eyebrow and then glanced to the new comer and then back. "Sena do you?" but she was cut off when the red headed man perked up at the mention of his name. The foreigner followed the small girl's glance towards the stammering running back and shot his own arm out in response.

"TWINKLE TOES!"

"DANTE?" the running back screeched back between chattering teeth. The newcomer bolted over to the startled and frozen running back and crushed him in a huge hug.

"Well ain't this just a quinky dink! Who'da thought I'd be playing with 'Eyeshield 21' again! HAHA!" the crimson caveman guffawed dancing around in a circle squeezing the life out of the poor runner.

The rest of the team watched in bewilderment and amazement at what was unfolding before their eyes. The giant hairy American was treating Sena like he had known him all his life. After a moment the furry football player realized he was suffocating the poor teen and released Sena from his crushing embrace. Once Sena managed to catch his breath he looked to all the curious stares digging his way.

Between wheezing breaths Sena managed to introduce the stranger, "Ev..Everyone this is D..Dante Klausen… My teammate from Notre Dame." Eyes and Jaws across the weight room popped open in shock and amazement.

"Well isn't this quite the development?" Mr. Kumabukuro exasperated. "Shall we continue?"

Dante looked up suddenly aware of why he was here, "Yes, sorry!" He bowed again deeply and made his way around the room introducing himself to the various players and making small talk while Mizumachi went over to help spot Kurita on the bench press.

Suzuna went over to her boyfriend with a worried look. "Are you ok Sena? You look kinda pale."

Sena still stared unbelieving at his American Teammate while sweating bullets. "W..Well at least he's on our side, aheh aheh he." He laughed nervously.

"Is he that good?" she asked.

"You have no idea… wait til you see what he does today…" Sena said with subdued respect.

The young couple's conversation was cut off by chants of "Kurita, Kurita!" and they looked over to see the behemoth pressing some absurd amount of weight while Mizumachi stood by trying to look useful as a spotter. After a couple easy reps Kurita put the bar back up on its posts and slapped his arms like a sumo would before a match. "More weight!" he roared challengingly. Mizumachi happily obliged adding several more pounds to the bar.

"How much is he lifting?" Suzuna asked in amazement.

"That's… no way… it can't be…" Sena gawked.

After three very impressive presses, Kurita could lift no more and once again placed the bar onto its holsters. Mr. Kumabukuro looked on in shocked amazement before excitedly stuttering, "5…515 pounds… in…incredible!" he quickly and excited jotted down the stat into his note pad. When the rest of his team heard the number their jaws hit the floor in amazement. Then they all began to clap and cheer to their senior teammate. After a number of congratulatory slaps on the back for breaking the current Enma bench record by a landslide it was time for the next person to try their luck.

Mizumachi jumped on the bench now suddenly shirtless and attempted to lift the bar set by Kurita. Though his face turned red and he sputtered with all his might the gangly lineman couldn't budge the bar and drew a chorus of condescending laughter from his teammates.

"Here let me take some weight off for you Mizumachi" Kurita said gently and without any mocking tone.

"Oh well I had to try," the blonde said through pursed lips.

After readjusting for their difference in power Mizumachi still managed to bench and impressive 255 pounds. Unsui went next after the towering lineman and managed to lift the same amount of weight.

"Wow, Unsui is strong for a quarterback huh?" Monta murmured through the applause.

"Y..yeah." Sena managed.

Next to lift was Kotaro. The kicker managed to press a modest weight of 160 pounds and seemed satisfied with his less than needed strength for his position. Monta and Riku both went after the kicker and both of the smaller teens managed to press 150 pounds respectively.

The only players left to attempt the bench press were Sena and Dante. After getting himself acquainted with mostly everyone in the room Dante approached the weight set first and snorted at the meager weight that was waiting for him. "I can do more than that," the slightly arrogant foreigner said. Kurita added some more weight but the strong safety shook his head, "More." He stated flatly. The rotund lineman looked surprised but nodded respectfully and added even more additional heft to the already heavy bar. "That should do it," stated the cocky red head. Dante then laid down on the bench and squared his shoulders before grunting into the press. "GRAH!"

To everyone else's surprise and astonishment the powerful safety easily lifted the full 300 pounds not once, not twice, but three times before resetting the bar on its pegs. Kurita's jaw dropped in surprise at the American. The rotund linemen had seriously doubted the foreigner could lift that weight but he was impressed none the less. The giant man gave their new exchange student a giant slap on the back and sent him sprawling into a pile of dumb bells. Kurita of course then hurried over to help the poor American up.

After their disbelief and amusement abated, all eyes fell on their captain. Sena nodded and approached Kurita and stood on his tippy toes to whisper something in the giant's ear. Kurita blinked twice in surprise but nodded before removing some of the weights remaining on the bench. Kurita then took his place at spotter and motioned for Sena to lay down and begin. The lithe running back hesitantly placed his hands on the grips of the bar and exhaled slowly. With all of his minimal might the running back pressed the weight up off the brackets and then lowered it slowly to his chest. Sena then began to shake and sputter trying to force the weights back up. He grinded his teeth and grunted angrily as the weight slowly and haphazardly began to rise. The running back started to falter but a chorus of cheers reached his ears.

"Sena! Sena! Come one you can do it! Almost there!" came the calls of his friends and teammates and even Mr. Kumabukuro. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Suzuna standing fretfully with her hands interlaced in a silent prayer egging on her beloved. Sena's narrowed his focus and let out one more mighty roar before finally extending the mass to its fullest and allowing Kurita to help him place it back on the brackets.

Monta and Riku stared on wide eyed in amazement! Sena had just benched 200 pounds, and while that was not the most impressive amount for the day they could not believe the once puny and pathetically weak running back could now lift such a weight. The room broke into an eruption of cheers and congratulations and Dante and Kurita even tossed the running back into the air happily. Once Sena had been placed onto his feet again a small raven haired blur caught him in a tight embrace.

"Yaaa! Sena, when did _you_ get so strong?" his girlfriend squeaked in joy.

Sena just returned her embrace smiling sheepishly, "That's American muscle training for you."


	12. Breaking the Barrier

Disclaimer: Any original characters are property of myself and myself only. Eyeshield 21 is a series created by Riichigo Inagaki and Yusuke Murata. All characters of Eyeshield 21 are property of the original creators, Shonen Jump and Viz Media. Any references to the NFL and its players are copyrighted by the NFL and credited to their respective teams.

The team mulled around in the weight room for a while after the lifting and recorded their height and weights while they were there. As to be expected everyone had gotten taller and heavier since their high school days and many of the team had grown into impressive young athletes. Some players like Mizumachi and Kurita didn't grow very much considering their early growth spurts had come and gone already. The same could be said for Kotaro and Unsui as well who had already hit their physical peak years ago as well. Sena and the other pipsqueaks however all showed visible changes in their height and weight.

Riku had only grown a few inches taller since his days in high school and still remained the smallest of the group. Monta had gained some height and a little bulk as well. The apish receiver was now about 5 feet 7 inches instead of the puny 5 feet 1 inches he had started his football career with. Sena too had grown quite a lot and was even an inch and a half taller than Monta now. And thanks to the heavy focus on muscle training he had under gone in America during his stint at Notre Dame, he had packed on a good deal of muscle mass as well. Though he was still a light weight as far as American football standards go, at 5 feet 8 and a half inches tall and 173 pounds Sena was not longer a total physical shrimp.

Dante weighed in at 221 pounds and at 6 feet 3 inches tall. Although no one really had any way to compare his growth it was still necessary for Mr. Kumabukuro's article that he be measured as well. After jotting down a few more additional notes in his yellow notepad Mr. Kumabukuro nodded and stuck his pen into his afro for safe keeping.

"I guess that just leaves 40 times and your interviews." The analyst said bubbly.

Juri took that as a queue and raised her hand while addressing everyone, "Alright everyone meet out at the track field in ten minutes."

The Enma University football team all grunted in response and began filing out of the weight room and down the corridor to the exit that would lead them to the track field. It was a warm spring day with a bright blue sky and a soothing breeze. Suzuna stayed close to Sena as they made their way leisurely towards the track with Monta and Riku tagging along closely behind them chatting about how strong Kurita and the new guy were. Kurita and Unsui ushered Dante along with Mr. Kumabukuro towards the field exchanging niceties with the foreigner in an attempt to make their new teammate feel more comfortable. Mizumachi made his way to the track still lacking a shirt as he accompanied Kotaro and Juri.

Once they had all arrived at the tar mat Mr. Kumabukuro stated that he would wait at the end of the 40 yard marker and record the times for each player. Juri and Suzuna took their position at the starting point and said that Suzuna would blow her cheering whistle to signal each player. With that Mr. Kumabukuro stated the order would be the same as the bench press. This was so that it would coincide with his notes easier. And that meant that Kurita would have to go first.

Kurita slowly shambled his way over to the starting point trudging along in sadness. His friends couldn't help but hide some pity and even some amusement at the rotund lineman's plight. It was not secret that the muscle man was in no way shape or form agile, and it showed on the lineman's depressed face.

Mizumachi prodded Kurita with his usual lack of tact saying, "Aww whatsa matter Kurita, not as excited for the 40 as you were for the bench press?"

The giant just sighed and mumbled, "Let's just get this over with…"

Suzuna nodded towards the lineman as he lined up in a three point stance and shouted, "Ready? One, two, three!" and blew her whistle harshly. The portly protector then began to "run" as fast as he could towards Mr. Kumabukuro and arrived there 6.4 seconds later. Even though this was disgustingly slow for a football player of any position Kurita still bounced up and down with joy knowing he had shaven .1 seconds off his previous times. His actions drew a chorus of chuckles from his teammates as they tried to avoid his crushing embrace.

After the orbital lineman had finished his earth quaking shenanigans Mizumachi approached the starting line picking at his ear with his pinky finger. Suzuna asked Mizumachi if he was ready and before she could begin to blow her whistle the gangly lineman teased, "Yes ma'am! Mrs. Kobayakawa!" and took off like a bat out of hell laughing as he tried to avoid her stream of projectiles. In the background Sena turned a shade of red as he slumped over in a sigh.

Mizumachi somehow managed to safely make it to Mr. Kumabukuro before being hit in the back of the head by Juri's clipboard which Suzuna had chucked Frisbee style at the bold jokester. Mr. Kumabukuro blanched as he said nervously, "4.8 seconds…" before the lineman hit the dirt. Back at the starting line Suzuna pumper her fist in victory.

Juri jogged over telling Kurita to take the idiot over to the sidelines and to recover her clip board in the process.

As Sena just stared on embarrassed by his teammate's actions, though not surprised by his girlfriend's, a large hairy face appeared next to his startling him from his daze.

"So I take it that's your little cutie pie you told me about?" Dante said more than asked.

Sena jerked back apprehensively at first before nodding and replying with a contented, "Yeah, that's my Suzuna."

Dante looked to his former and now reunited comrade and nodded, "Not bad twinkle toes, not bad at all. Take good care of her."

Sena stared narrowly at his unpredictable American friend. He knew Dante could be just as bad as Mizumachi when it came to taking jokes too far, and he also knew how maniacal Dante could be as well. He was kind of like Hiruma sometimes, but nowhere near as bad. But every now and then the hairy ox would say something kind and surprising that one wouldn't expect. Sena smiled at his friend as he considered the safety's words. "I will."

"Or I'll have to kick your skinny little Jap ass, HAHAHA!" bellowed the hairy foreigner as he slammed his palm into the back of the alarmed and surprised runner.

Sena managed to regain his composure and laughed nervously, "Y…Yeah…"

After unceremoniously placing Mizumachi out of the way the girls returned to their starting positions and signaled for Unsui to get ready. The former Naga took his stance and dashed off after the whistle. Enma's current quarterback managed to do the 40 in 4.82 seconds and seemed content with the time.

After Unsui, Kotaro managed to pull off 5.3 seconds, shaving .2 seconds off his old time. The kicker showed off enthusiastically running his switch blade hair comb through his locks. "Now that's cool!" he said proudly.

Riku was next and as he approached the starting line the blonde youth set into a three point stance whispering, "All right Sena, let's see how much I've closed the gap between us." He glanced over to his teammate, who seemed oblivious to the extra attention. Once the whistle blew Riku took off like a flash down the track. He was easily faster than the others who went before him and Mr. Kumabukuro let out an impressed "Oooh" as the blonde youth passed him.

"Nice time, Riku you made 4.37 seconds." The afro headed man told the young safety.

Riku nodded sagely and glared back at Sena who gave him a thumbs up in the process. Riku grinned smugly and returned the hand gesture. "Eh, light speed is overrated any way," he added blasely.

Monta was next to take the test and he lined up in position for the whistle. Suzuna blew the whistle and the simian receiver took off shouting, "MAXI Dash!" This drew a couple of embarrassed looks from some of his teammates. When the ape arrived at the finish line he dove into a roll and ended up in his touchdown pose with one hand pointing to the sky. Mr. Kumabukuro just laughed at the receiver and said, "4.71," and while it wasn't the best time the monkey boy still beamed with pride.

Dante murmured to Sena, "He's a strange one ain't he?" motioning to Monta who was now prancing around on all four howling like an ape.

Sena just sighed, "You'll get used to that…"

"Right." Dante yawned as he made his way to the track while openly picking his nose. But rather than going straight to the track he first made his way over to Suzuna and appraised her, "So you're the little flower twinkle toes wouldn't shut up about huh?"

"Er… Uh.. what?" asked the confused cheerleader.

"Shrimpy back there, he'd never shut up about you back at Notre Dame. He really had the hots for you squirt."

Suzuna turned red and stammered, "Squ.. squirt?"

"But now seeing you in person I can understand why, you're very pretty." said the foreigner matter of factly. Before the burning red cheer captain could respond the hairy American added, "Take care of the knucklehead. And congratulations to both of ya." Then he took off to the starting point and took his stance.

Juri snorted saying, "Bad at Japanese my ass," but Suzuna didn't hear her. She just stared at the foreigner in a daze soaking in what he had said. He was a bold one that was for sure, even after witnessing what happened to Mizumachi. But Suzuna couldn't bring herself to be mad at the strange red haired teen for some reason. But then he gave her one.

"Hey squirt, are you going to blow the damn whistle or what. I'm dying of old age!" he hollered brashly.

"Oh you!" she angrily blew into the metal instrument and the crimson teen blasted down the track. Suzuna was shocked at his speed. "Holy Crap! He's fast!" She and all the other players had their eyes drawn to the red blur that was whirring down the track.

Dante plowed past the finish line and grinded to a halt as he turned to regard Mr. Kumabukuro. The sports analyst stood there shaking in shock before managing to stutter breathlessly, "4.29 s…seconds!"

Riku gawked in amazement at the foreigner who was now picking his nose as if he had done nothing. "No way! That's insane for someone his size!"

"So fast!" Monta and Kurita gasped in unison. Everyone else offered similar exasperations and congratulated their new teammate on his astonishing time. The only person who didn't seem amazed was Sena. As the running back made his way over to the starting line Suzuna skated towards him staring towards the finish line.

"Sena, did you know he was this fast?" she asked bug eyed.

"Well, he was fast before, but I didn't think he'd improve that much. He's almost as fast as me and Shin now." He stuttered nervously. "It makes me want to give it my all even more," he finished confidently.

Suzuna blinked and turned to face her boyfriend as if she remembered something. "Oh yeah. Don't forget," she leaned in closer to the running back and whispered into his ear, "I might owe you a kiss if you prove how fast you can be." She drew back staring lustily into her lover's eyes.

Sena nodded trying to resist the red coloring flushing into his cheeks. He reached out and squeezed his girlfriend's hand before settling into his stance at the starting line. He took a deep breath and shut out all the sounds around him. He shut out all of the eyes that were now fixated on his body. He shut out even the sound of the wind itself and turned all of his focus inwards to his legs. He imagined lightning pumping through his muscles and giving him speed. When the whistle blew he vanished down the track. Before he even knew what was going on he was already thirty feet beyond the finish line breathing harshly. His legs wobbled from the stress of the process they just underwent and he struggled to stay standing. When he managed to turn around Suzuna was the only person there. Everyone else was stock still staring at the running back in shock and disbelief, none of them saying a word.

Sena began to fall forward but was caught in Suzuna's waiting arms. He wanted to ask her how he did. He wanted to ask her what had happened, but he couldn't say anything. Her warm lips joined his in a passionate but quick kiss. She released her lips from his saying proudly, "You did it Sena! You really did it. 4.16 seconds!"

His eyes widened in amazement. Sena privately knew that he had broken the light speed barrier while in America but he hadn't told anyone about it. Back then he could only do it in 4.18 seconds, and even that left him tired if not exhausted. But to go even faster than that amazed him even further, and drained him more as well. He wondered what could have given him the extra "stuff" to go that speed. A light and angelic voice broke his thoughts.

"How did you do that Sena? Hiruma and Shin said Japanese people couldn't go faster than 4.2 seconds." His girlfriend said, her big blue eyes wide with excitement for her beloved.

And it was in those blue orbs that Sena found his answer, that he found his extra "stuff." That extra boost he got that made him go faster was her. The exhausted running back stared back into his girlfriends deep blue orbs and said, "You were how. You're the reason Suzuna, you gave me the strength." He leaned in and gave her a soft kiss on her forehead and put his arm around her shoulder to support himself as she helped him over to the riot of cheers echoing from his teammates.

"Woohoo, way to go lady killer!" a certain red haired foreigner shouted before bringing his fingers to his lips and letting out a sharp whistle. Mizumachi howled like a wolf at the brazen performance of PDA, and several other players applauded the young couple's boldness as well.

The young teens both turned beet red now realizing what they had done in front of their friends. Suzuna managed to raise her fist and shook it menacingly shouting, "Yeah yeah! Show's over! Go bother Kotaro and Juri for once you pervs!"


	13. That 4 Letter Word

Disclaimer: Any original characters are property of myself and myself only. Eyeshield 21 is a series created by Riichigo Inagaki and Yusuke Murata. All characters of Eyeshield 21 are property of the original creators, Shonen Jump and Viz Media. Any references to the NFL and its players are copyrighted by the NFL and credited to their respective teams.

Several minutes had passed after the team had all registered their new 40 yard dash times with Mr. Kumabukuro. Regardless of how impressive Sena's time was, it was quite detrimental to the running back's stamina and the football star was forced to rest on the bleachers until he recovered. While he waited the rest of the team had gone into the vacant club room to hold their individual interviews with the bomberhead. He sat there for a moment gently massaging his legs and enjoying the warm spring weather.

Suzuna had gone to get him some water and said she would be back shortly. While he waited for his girlfriend Sena began to think again about how he could break the light speed barrier. Suzuna was right, after all both Shin and Hiruma had said it was impossible. But why was he able to? The running back was sure he had done it by his own physical means in America in shaving .02 seconds off his time. Sena had attributed it to him being a freak of nature. But to go even faster to 4.16 had shocked him even more. Mr. Kumabukuro could have made a mistake in timing, but that was unlikely. The veteran analyst was an expert at keeping his stop watch times accurate. But what was it then? Was it really his feelings for Suzuna that had given him the extra drive? He had racked his brain for what seemed like forever but couldn't find any other reason besides his desire to impress her and to make her proud. Even thinking about her now seemed to make his legs less tired. The rejuvenated running back even tried to stand but fell back to the bleachers with shaking legs.

"Of course it's impossible…" he laughed nervously.

"How are your legs?" came an angelic voice to his left.

Sena turned to observe his girlfriend who extended a bottle of water towards him. He took the liquid and took a large swig before replying, "They're still a little shaky, but better."

She smiled warmly, "Good." Her face darkened slightly as she said with a concerned voice, "But I don't think you should do that in game unless you have to. You'll burn yourself out."

The running back looked at her and scratched the back of his head conceding, "Yeah you're probably right." He offered her a forced grin when she didn't look convinced. "Besides, the only person I'd need to use that against is Shin."

"But still…"

"And only if we're desperate." He added squeezing her should as she sat next to him.

"Well… ok." And she gave him a quick peck on his cheek. "But that was still pretty amazing!"

The all star smiled slightly through reddened cheeks grabber her hand. He gave her a slight squeeze and just sat there enjoying her company as he waited for his spastic limbs to settle down.

After sitting for another ten more minutes Sena managed to stand up and walk slowly without falling over so the young couple decided to carefully make their way to the club room. They even managed to hold hands in front of other people as they did it. Sena had to admit that he really enjoyed it too. Normally the running back would be embarrassed to no end by holding Suzuna's hand anywhere in public. For some reason though, Sena just couldn't let go of her hand even if they passed someone else they knew personally. He felt like he was no longer ashamed to be in love with her. Sena stuttered a step as that thought crossed his mind. "_Love…"_

The young athlete had always had strong feelings for the blue eyed cheer captain but "love" had always evaded his thoughts. Maybe he was too dense to realize what the strange warmth was that accompanied his thoughts when they drifted to the lithe beauty. He thought it was strange to fall in love so fast with someone he had only been dating for a little over a week. But he couldn't deny the realization thumping in his chest every time he saw her face, or every time he heard her voice. He had been by her side as her friend for nearly three full years and he only now realized that he actually truly loved her. Once again that sweet voice drew him from his mind and he looked to his girlfriend.

"Are you ok Sena? Do you need to sit down?" Suzuna asked with her brow creased in concern.

"No, I'm ok. Nothing to worry about!" he said while forcing a grin.

"Are you sure?" she asked.

"Yeah, now come on we wouldn't want to keep Mr. Kumabukuro waiting." He said jogging away with a smile, showing that he was more than fit.

Suzuna smiled back at her boyfriend and skated after him.

Most of the remaining players had already been interviewed by the afro haired sports analyst when the couple had arrived. Kotaro, Mizumachi, and Unsui all went to get lunch at a soba shop down town while Kurita as showing Dante the campus. Riku asked Monta to go with him to Osaka for the weekend to scout their upcoming opponent the Nishi Koi Fish. Since they needed to be there by the next day to observe Taki's team practice they said they had to leave as soon as they could.

That just left Suzuna alone with Juri while they waited for Sena's interview to be wrapped up. The pair of teens stood in an awkward silence for a few moments. Suzuna was still getting used to Juri and didn't know the girl too well yet but they were steadily becoming friends. Juri was absent mindedly looking through the notes in her clipboard and when she asked out of the blue, "So did he tell you he loves you yet?"

Suzuna gawked at the aqua haired manager, "Ex…excuse me?" she asked in disbelief.

"Sena, did he say he loved you yet?"

"We've only been dating for a little over a week!"

"But you've known him all through high school right? Like best friends, hung out together all the time best friends right?" she said more than asked.

"Well… yeah but."

"So? It's not like you haven't been 'together' for only a week. It's just only been a week since you were 'officially' boyfriend and girlfriend right?" the manager added emphasizing certain parts with quotation mark finger motions.

"I… well I guess you're right. But no he hasn't. Besides it is Sena we're talking about. He openly told me he had wanted to ask me out for 2 years…" Suzuna trailed off in thought. "'You don't think?" she asked.

"Girl, I know those love struck puppy dog eyes when I see them. Believe me Kotaro gave me that same stare for years before I finally gave in. That boy has it bad for you Suzuna." Juri quipped.

Suzuna just absorbed her words and thought back to all the awkward moments over the last couple years when Sena seemed like he wanted to say something but couldn't. All the times she had held her breath waiting to hear him ask her to be his girlfriend. Now that he had finally asked her, how could she not have thought he may actually love her. _"Duh, what was I thinking? He had to love me! Not just like me but L-O-V-E love me!" _Suzuna smiled in spite of herself and Juri glanced side long at the cheer captain.

"Do you love him?" the blue haired manager asked again seemingly out of the blue.

Suzuna snapped out of her day dreams and stared daggers at the girl. Her visage softened though when she looked at her smirking and knowing face. She sighed and said, "Of course I do. But I never realized it until he had left for America and… and then it… it was too late." Tears started to well up in her eyes as she tried to choke back a whimper.

Juri inched over to the cheer captain and rested her hand on the girl's shoulder. Suzuna wiped the tears welling in her eyes away with her palm before muttering, "I was terrified he might find someone else in America and that he'd come back having forgotten me. I was miserable that I hadn't told him how I felt before he left. I lived with the what if's for six months. I felt so stupid. What if I had lost him?" The navy blue haired teen lowered her head into her knees sighing.

"Well you've got me now." came a surprisingly deep response.

Juri and Suzuna both nearly jumped out of their socks at the site of Sena standing by the doorway to the club room. Both of the girls started stammering and babbling trying to come up with something to say. Sena calmly raised his hand towards Juri before politely saying, "Juri, Mr. Kumabukuro asked to see you before he left." and he offered her a warm smile.

"I… oh, uh yes!" and the football manager dashed into the club room to meet with the Bomberman.

After she made herself disappear the running back leaned against the wall with his elbow. His palm gently craded his jaw line. He waited staring at Suzuna patiently before the girl hesitantly asked, "How… how much of that did you hear?"

"I came in about when Juri asked if you loved me." He said flatly without showing any of his nervous ticks.

Suzuna moved rapidly towards the running back with a desperate look on her face. "Sena I…" but before she could finish the running back gently placed his index finger on her lips to quiet her. He removed the digit and Suzuna stared at him with anticipation.

"I love you too." And with that the running star planted an affectionate and passionate kiss on his lover. Suzuna flared beet red and felt fireworks erupt around her mind as Sena's lips sent tingles down her spine. After a precious moment Suzuna felt regretful when the running back finally released her from his touch and she began to tear up again.

"Oh… Sena!" she leaped into his strong arms and embraced him as tightly as she ever had. "I love you too!"


	14. Scouting Nishi

Disclaimer: Any original characters are property of myself and myself only. Eyeshield 21 is a series created by Riichigo Inagaki and Yusuke Murata. All characters of Eyeshield 21 are property of the original creators, Shonen Jump and Viz Media. Any references to the NFL and its players are copyrighted by the NFL and credited to their respective teams.

It was early in the morning when Monta and Riku arrived at Nishi University. Taki's football team wasn't scheduled to play for another couple of hours but the duo decided to patrol the grounds anyway and check out the stadium. It was small with only one set of bleachers facing adjacent to the field and across from them was a grassy hill where free loaders would sit and watch the games. Riku and Monta made their way across the sidelines taking in the few fans that had gathered early. One group was tail gating in the parking lot with a grill and some coolers. They could smell the burgers and hotdogs cooking on the mid morning breeze.

Riku and Monta really didn't know each other too well but recently the pair had tried to hang out more often in what Riku called, "_an attempt to build familiarity and teamwork."_ Monta was not one to shy away from making a new friend and didn't hesitate when the former Seibu running back had asked him to join him on the scouting mission.

As they rounded the bend and took a seat on the front row of the bleachers just in front of the 40 yard line Monta broke the silence. "Do you think Taki's team is any good?"

"Hard to tell. I know the idiot well enough to say he's not a threat to us alone, but I've heard mixed things about the rest of the team." The stoic teen replied.

"Mixed things? What do you mean?"

"Apparently one of their starters was injured earlier in the season and is supposed to start again today, and one of their defensive stars was suspended for 4 games due to… extracurricular activities." Riku added, slowly choosing the correct words to end the thought with.

"Fights, drugs, what?" asked the ape teen.

"I couldn't find the details. Apparently the university covered it up so that he could still play."

"That valuable huh?"

"Again, hard to tell. Either way both of them are supposed to play today so we'll find out regardless." Riku finished.

Monta nodded as if satisfied with that and turned his attention to the field. It reminded him of his days at Deimon High. The field was small and not impressive in any way but it still had that charm that seemed to gather anyone who enjoyed field sports. Monta was sure that football was not the only game played on this field on a weekly basis and wondered what struggles may have transpired on this particular grid iron. His thoughts continued to dawdle on the subject when Riku spoke up, probably to break the silence more than any other reason.

"So Monta, what do you think of Suzuna and Sena?" the blasely spoken blonde stated.

"I think it's about damn time if you ask me." The ape replied with a smirk. "I had sneaking suspicions but I guess when Sena finally asked for advice it all made sense. Good for them I say."

"But you hung out with Suzuna almost as much as Sena had during high school, if not more because of his stay at Notre Dame. Aren't you…" he paused stumbling over the words, "you know jealous? Even a little?"

Monta eyed him as if he'd been smacked. The simian teen started to laugh and scratched the back of his head. "No I never saw Suzuna like that… I always saw her like a little sister. Besides the one I liked ended up with the Devil himself anyway haha."

Both teens nodded and chuckled nervously at the thought of Hiruma and Mamori together. No matter how many times they thought about it, it was still terrifying to anyone who knew the pair.

Suddenly a loud explosion tore through the air and the pair of Enma athletes were sent toppling down the bleachers in shock and surprise. Both athletes looked around desperately for the source of the calamity and both of the teens paled away in fear when a crackling "YA-HA-!" pierced their ears.

As the smoke cleared the hellion quarterback quirked his head at an awkward angle towards the terrified duo and smiled his maniacal fanged grin. "Well what do we have here but the fucking monkey and the fucking bleach. AND whats this? Did I hear some dirt on the fucking shrimp and the fucking skates too? Oh this must be my lucky day! Kekekekeke!"

"Yoichi! Do you have to shoot rocket launchers every time we enter a new stadium?"

"Shut up fucking manager!" Hiruma mocked as he put a piece of sugar free gum between his fangs.

Mamori shot a dagger like stare back at her lover as if promising him later torment. Riku and Monta stared on helplessly as the demonic quarterback and his woman made their way towards them. Hiruma was casually twirling a rifle about in his right hand and Mamori quickly darted over to help the startled pair to their feet.

"Are you two all right?"

"Y…Yeah… fuh…fine." They both managed to stutter through chattering teeth.

"So, the fucking shrimp finally grew some balls and asked out fucking skates huh? Kekeke!" the pierced demon asked.

Riku and Monta both glanced at each other in defeat knowing there was no use to try and keep the information from the evil quarterback. All they could do was concede defeat before it occurred and nod helplessly.

"Oh really, that's wonderful. Good for them!" Mamori said cheerfully. "Isn't that great Yoichi?" she nudged her lover pointedly.

"Kekeke, about damn time." Hiruma cackled under his breath before popping a bubble of gum.

"Oh I'll have to give Suzu a call later about it!" Mamori added excitedly.

In all actuality Hiruma had known all along because of a blabber mouthed idiot. However, the former Christmas Bowl champ loved tormenting any one any time he could and he savored torturing Riku and Monta about the subject. The demonic blonde couldn't help himself. He just liked to watch them squirm.

As the group waited, the bleachers began to fill up with fans and students from Nishi University. It wasn't long before Taki's team began to enter the field to do their pre game stretches and warm up exercises. Hiruma and the two Enma teams perked up at their arrival and Mamori took out her camcorder. The group all rolled their eyes whenever Taki would do his patented y-balances and guffaw like an idiot. Monta could have sworn he heard the tight end scream something about autographs after the game and chuckled in spite of himself.

"Their opponents are the Cupids. Man it seems like every skirmish game we watch involves them doesn't it." Monta said while absent mindedly scratching at his nose tape.

"They're not the ones I'm interested in, and neither is the fucking idiot." Hiruma barked cutting off whatever it was that Riku would have said. "Keep an eye on number 14, and number 93. If what I hear is true they'll be fun to watch kekeke."

"What do you know about them Hiruma? We couldn't find out much about them." Riku asked.

Hiruma popped a bubble and chided, "Tch, can't do your own research properly huh fucking bleach?" Mamori elbowed him harshly and the quarterback reluctantly took the hint. "Tch, 14 is Kenshiro Hanada. He is their quarterback. He got injured in their debut skirmish game earlier this spring and got side lined for a couple months. He broke his collar bone so he's vulnerable to attack."

"Yoichi that's an awful thing to say."

"It's strategy fucking manager! And don't interrupt me!" he hissed. "Number 93 is Daisuke Kumatsu. He's a lineman. Apparently he got into some trouble with one of the girls sports teams and was suspended for his efforts kekeke, fucking moron. Rumors have him on par with Ottowara but that remains to be seen." The quarterback paused to pop another bubble before screeching, "Fucking manager! Get everything those two do on tape. Plays, formations, techniques, strengths, weaknesses, EVERYTHING!"

Mamori nodded and began aiming her camcorder at the two unknown athletes. Monta and Riku looked on in confused amusement. Neither of the two could begin to fathom how those two made a successful couple. As the pair pondered the unlikely lovers the opening kickoff announced the start of the game.

The game had ended with a score of 52 to 7 in favor of Nishi University. Riku and Monta gawked at the team they would be facing in one week's time with amazement and surprise. Mamori glanced towards her lover nervously and Hiruma just stared at the field with a stern look as he blew another bubble.

"Looks like those two were better than I gave them credit for." Hiruma mumbled.

Riku snapped out of his dumbfounded expression and managed to gather his composure before offering, "Yeah, but they were playing the Cupids. We won't let them off as easily next week."

Monta broke from his daze and silently replied, "But still to think their quarterback could do something like _that_. And Hiruma was right when he compared 93 to Ottowara."

"Kekeke, I look forward to your match next week then. If Saikyoudai didn't have a game I'd have to come watch. You better not lose to those idiots you fucking monkey!" Hiruma bellowed.

"No way! We're gonna crush those guys!" Monta roared, and Riku nodded in agreement. One of the players on the sideline must have heard the ruckus and meandered his way over to them.

"Aha-ha! I didn't know you guys would come to get my autograph too! Hello Mademoiselle Mamori, Monta-kun, Hiruma, Seibu Boy!" The king of the idiots greeted the group as he bounded over from the side lines.

"Seib…Seibu boy?" Riku stuttered with a twitch in his eye.

"Fucking Idiot, I see you haven't changed…. At all…" Hiruma grumbled.

"So who's first to get their autograph? Aha-ha!"

"Me…" Monta said surprising everyone as he approached the tight end.

"R..Really? Aha-ha! What should I sign for you."

Monta approached with an innocent smile at first, but his face twisted into an angry glare and he gritted his teeth as he punched the tight end fully in the stomach with a massive balled fist. Mamori shouted out in surprise and Riku and Hiruma's eyes popped open.

"That's from your sister. She said you'd understand." Monta said through gritted teeth.

"What.. whatever for… from my dearest sister! I don't…" and before he could finish Monta slugged him one more time.

"And that one's from me because I said you wouldn't understand." Then the apish receiver slugged him a third and final time. "And that's from Sena because he wouldn't have it in him. And because I felt like it… Idiot!"

At this point Taki was lying on the ground clutching his stomach and wheezing, "That's Impossible!" while Hiruma just started to cackle hysterically.


	15. Date Night

Disclaimer: Any original characters are property of myself and myself only. Eyeshield 21 is a series created by Riichigo Inagaki and Yusuke Murata. All characters of Eyeshield 21 are property of the original creators, Shonen Jump and Viz Media. Any references to the NFL and its players are copyrighted by the NFL and credited to their respective teams.

"No look passes? Interesting…" Unsui muttered as team Enma sat around their conference table in the football club house. The group of athletes sat slack jawed as they watched the game footage that Mamori had lent to Monta from their trip to Nishi University. Somehow Nishi's quarterback was able to throw the ball to receivers while looking in the opposite direction of his target. In the video it was obvious that the Cupids had no way of dealing with the bizarre play style.

"How does he do that so well? His receivers would have to run perfect routes." Juri added in disbelief.

"If the timing was off even a little bit those passes would be in the dirt or intercepted." Riku agreed. "However, even when his receivers got bumped he still made some of those no look passes. It would be safe to believe he has a lot of chemistry with at least two of his receivers that they can manage even if they are thrown off route."

"Hmmm. That does pose a problem." Unsui pondered before adding, "They were only playing the Cupids though… no offense…"

"I had a similar sentiment Unsui." Riku replied with a nod.

"If we bump their receivers at the line and have Kurita and Mizumachi attack Hanada before he can pass we may throw them off enough to mess up their timing." The nearly bald quarterback stated.

"Which brings us to our next problem." The blonde running back sighed as he clicked the remote for the video to resume. "Daisuke Kumatsu. To be honest I don't think he'll be a match for Kurita in terms of strength, but he may surprise us with his speed. His technique is also top notch so he might give us some problems but I think we can handle him."

Sena stood up at the end of the table and beseeched, "Alright so as of for now, our game plan will be to jam the Nishi receivers at the line of scrimmage, blitz Hanada when possible, and concentrate on Daisuke's presence on the line."

The rest of the team nodded with a grunt and Sena shifted his focus to Kurita. "Kurita-san would you please get together the fill-in linemen and get them ready for the game. Monta and the backs practice bumping this week on top of your normal practices. Other than that we'll resume practice tomorrow at 3 p.m."

In the back of the room Juri nudged Suzuna and teased, "He sure can be bold and confident when it comes to football huh?"

Suzuna just smiled and nodded. She watched Juri dash her way over to Kotaro and couldn't hide a hint of jealousy as they openly exchanged a quick kiss before heading out the door. It was true that the shy running back seemed to gain unnatural confidence whenever it regarded the football field. Especially now after having three solid years of football under his belt, and on top of that six months in the sport's holy land of America to boot. It was as if nothing on the football field frightened the brunette teen anymore. Suzuna found that confidence to be very attractive. She just wished that the same confidence he found on the football field would leak its way into his real life too.

Sena grabbed his book bag and tossed the single strapped carrier over his left shoulder. He bounded his way over to his girlfriend and offered her his hand. "Ready to go?" he asked warmly.

"Sure thing." She said taking his hand tentatively. He hadn't openly held her hand in front of the team before. Not this openly anyway as they trotted out the door of the club room hand in hand in plain daylight. "_Maybe some of that confidence leaked over after all."_ She thought smiling slightly.

"You sure seem like you're in a good mood today Suzuna." Sena said happily as he offered his girlfriend a smile.

"Oh, uh yeah." Suzuna stammered suddenly finding she was the shy one for a change.

With that they just walked silently contentedly holding each other's hands. About ten minutes later they arrived where their paths would split on their way home. Normally Sena would not think twice to escort the young cheer captain home but today he paused hesitantly.

"Hey Suzuna…" Sena started, some nervousness creeping into his voice.

"Ye..yeah?" she asked anxiously.

"If you're not doing anything tonight… would.. would you like to go to dinner with me? And maybe a movie?" the once again stuttering athlete asked with a tint of redness in his cheeks.

Suzuna's confusion turned to elation and she smiled widely from ear to ear. "I would love to! Where did you have in mind?"

The running back began to rub the back of his head. "I uh… I kinda wanted it to be a surprise." He grinned sheepishly before adding. "Nothing too fancy but not exactly casual either. I'll pick you up at 6?"

"Yaa! I can't wait. I'll see you at six then stud." She said seductively as she leaned in and kissed her boyfriend before skating off towards her home.

Sena stood there for a moment touching his hand to his cheek where she had kissed him. As the redness in his face cleared he watched Suzuna skate away until he could no longer see her before dashing at light speed to his own apartment.

Suzuna sat in her bean bag chair waiting patiently for Sena to arrive and take her on their first real date since Nagano. She wasn't exactly sure what Sena had meant by "nothing too fancy but not exactly formal" though. The only formal clothing she owned was some of the outfits that Doburoku had bought for them for different celebrations and they were too small for her now.

After digging through her closet the cheer captain had finally decided on a white camisole with pale blue floral print under the bust line. This accentuated her now budding chest but modestly hid the rest of her slim figure. Under that she wore a pair of white corduroy pants with brass buttons. She wisely decided to forgo her roller skates on this date as well and instead wore a pair of tan slip on shoes. She also did something she never normally wouldn't do by putting on lip gloss which only added to the natural shine of her lips.

She twiddled a strand of hair hanging across her face as she waited for her beloved and pondered what kind of date he had in store for her. Suzuna could barely contain her excitement. She had never been on a real date before other than her trip to Nagano with Sena, and was eagerly anticipating the sound of her doorbell.

She didn't have to wait very long before the tell tale "_ding dong"_ sounded. She leapt up out of her bean bag chair and bounded over to the door and opened the gateway. Sena stood there like a hunk of manly handsomeness before her. She still couldn't get over how tall he had gotten, he was almost 5 inches taller than her now. He was wearing a pair of black slacks and a tucked in black polo shirt. He had a black leather belt and wore a pair of leather shoes as well. Suzuna suddenly felt slightly underdressed and was about to say just that but Sena's stunned look stopped her short.

Sena couldn't believe the vision of beauty before his eyes. "_She looks like an angel." _He thought as his eyes scanned over her lithe frame layered in white. He'd have to call himself a liar to say he didn't pause in his scan when he reached her bust but he was only human. When he finally managed to gather his composure he gazed into her deep blue eyes.

"How do I look?" she asked swinging slightly from side to side so that he could get a better look.

"Suzuna, you're beautiful." He said breathlessly.

The cheer captain turned a bright shade of red. "Th..Thank you, you're pretty handsome yourself there Sena." She replied sheepishly cupping her hands together at her thighs.

Sena jolted out of his drool fest and brought out his hand he had been hiding behind his back. "These are for you." He said shyly. In his hands were a dozen red roses. Suzuna gasped in amazement placing her hand over her mouth. She tentatively took the flowers from her boyfriend.

"Sena… they're… beautiful. Thank you." She stared at the roses for a moment trying to fight back tears. She leaned forward and laid a big wet one on him. No one had ever bought her flowers before, let alone a dozen red roses. She was moved and clung to her beloved in a tight embrace.

"Are you crying?" he whispered curiously.

Suzuna stepped back and wiped her eyes. "No… it… it's just no one has ever bought be flowers before… Thank you." She leaned forward and kissed him again. "I'll be right back, I'm going to put these in some water. Come on inside."

Sena stepped through the door way and shut it behind him as he waited for Suzuna to go find a home for her roses. Her apartment was set up in a similar fashion as his with a small foyer greeting the front door and connecting to a kitchen on the right and a living room on the left. Sena would have looked around a little more but thought it might be rude and decided to stay put by the door.

Suzuna quickly found a vase for the flowers and placed the bouquet in the water. She then set them on her kitchen table. The dozen red roses emanated a sweet aroma as she leaned in to smell them. She clutched her hands over her heart as she walked away almost reluctantly from her kitchen.

She walked over to the first man who bought her flowers and hooked her arm with his. "Shall we go?" she said asked with admiration and affection.

"Definitely." He replied with a smile.

After a short hike the young couple arrived at a small area around Enma University know as "Point Crest." Point Crest was an area of town with several restaurants, shopping plazas, theatres, and night clubs. There were numerous culinary niceties around every bend. There were bakeries, ice cream parlors, bistros and curry houses and nearly any other ethnic cuisine one could desire.

Suzuna began to wonder what kind of restaurant Sena had in mind. They had already walked by two Italian places and several Japanese eateries. After passing by another few cafes and a bistro Sena paused in front of an establishment called "Lone Star's."

"Here we are." Sena said evenly as he opened the door for his girlfriend. She entered the restaurant and smells of beef filled the air. She could hear the sounds of meat sizzling on the open fire wood grill towards the rear of the dining room. The walls were lined with cow skulls, ropes, and other cowboy memorabilia.

_"A steak house?" _Suzuna thought with intrigue. The cheer leader smiled as she realized something. "Hey, this is just like the steak house we ate at when we met in America all those years ago isn't it Sena?"

The running back smiled sheepishly and scratched at his nose. "Yeah, I thought it would be appropriate for our first real date considering how we first met."

"Hello and welcome to Lone Star's. Will it just be the two of you today?" asked the bubbly hostess.

Sena acknowledged the woman and said, "Yes, non- smoking please."

"Right this way sir." The polite young hostess said as she led them to a booth about for tables away from the viewable "grill pit." She handed the teens a pair of menus and told them that their server would be with them shortly.

"This place is really nice, I didn't know we had an American style steak house around here." Suzuna said as she looked about the restaurant soaking in all the memorabilia on the walls.

"I didn't either. Dante actually told me about it the other day and I thought it would be nice to try it out with you."

"Dante, huh? What's he like he seems… odd?" she said with an upward inflection.

"Yeah… you could say that. He has a heart of gold and would give you the shirt on his back… but he's a total goof ball too."

"He's always going to call me squirt isn't he?" she grumbled

"Yeah… he gives everyone nick names… mine's 'Twinkle Toes'." He grimaced. Suzuna stifled a giggle at his less than desired moniker. Sena added, "I'm sure you'll get to know him better during the summer training camp."

Suzuna nodded seemly satisfied with that and then opened her menu. She scanned over the different cuts of meat that were offered and cringed when she saw the prices. "Sena this place is expensive! Are you sure this is ok?"

Sena looked up from his menu in surprise and feigned some hurt. "No its not, and don't worry about it Suzuna-chan. You can get whatever you want." He threw her a hearty smile to lessen her doubt.

Then it dawned on her. "Oh-. Is dinner going to be on Hiruma tonight?" she giggled, referring to Hiruma's Hell Card that made pretty much everything free.

Sena furrowed his brow at the question before muttering, "No. I don't like using that thing. It terrifies people and besides" he paused. "… I… I wanted to do this myself tonight… f…for you." He stammered.

Suzuna's eyes widened at the statement. She was impressed he would want to do that for her. Her heart filled with warmth and she remembered why she loved him so much. He was so sweet and thoughtful. Even though she never hesitated to use her HHC card and wouldn't blame Sena for using his either, she was touched by his actions.

"That's so sweet." She whispered and reached her hand out to touch his. "Thank you."

Their server came and took their drink orders and shortly returned with a root beer and an iced tea. After scrolling through the menu once again Suzuna decided to get the 6 oz sirloin steak and an order of steak fries. Sena decided on a 10 oz porter house steak with grilled shrimp and an order of steak fries. The couple sat waiting patiently for their food and chatted idly about school and football until their meals arrived.

Suzuna cut into her steak and took a bite. She moaned deliciously and savored the flavor. "Mmmm, this is delicious!"

Sena then in turn eagerly ate a piece of his own steak and moaned similarly in agreement. "It is delicious!"

The couple ate the rest of their meal at their leisure enjoying the rich flavors of the steaks. They chatted and joked about the waiters' cowboy attire and before they knew it they had finished eating. With their stomachs full and their appetites satiated Sena paid the rather pricey bill and they made their way back into Point Crest.

Sena had let Suzuna pick the movie and they ended up watching a romantic comedy. It was ironically about a young couple who happened to be a cheer captain and a running back for an American football team. It was heartwarming and full of laughs and both of the teens could really relate. The movie really reminded the pair of how they came to be. Half way through the film Sena found that his arm had stretched out around Suzuna and that the cheer captain was resting her head on his chest as the movie rolled on. Enma's team captain blushed slightly as she nuzzled in closer and he could smell the sweetness of her scent. It was an indescribable pleasant aroma that put him at ease. He smiled slightly and turned his attention to the ending of the movie.

The sun had long set by the time the two love struck teens began their walk home. Suzuna took comfort that her man was by her side and she clutched tightly to his strong arm. His presence made her feel safe and untouchable as they walked quietly down the illuminated sidewalks. Suzuna liked to play the tough girl but knew in reality that her small frame would be easy prey to anyone sick enough to try. Normally she would never walk these roads at night, especially alone. Granted the neighborhood wasn't a bad one, but that still did not ease one's anxiety whilst walking alone on a dark foreboding avenue. But tonight was different, tonight she had her protector with her. She was untouchable; she was his and his alone.

Sena escorted his beloved home safely and kissed her good night catching her in a tight embrace. Suzuna returned his kiss in full her hands traveling the expanse of his well toned back. A few breathless moments later the pair separated and said their farewells and Suzuna watched her knight in shining armor disappear into the night. She walked back into her kitchen to find his roses and sighed dreamily. "I'm the luckiest girl in the world."


	16. Pregame Shenanigens

**Author's Note:** Hello to everyone who has continued reading "Eyeshield Heart" until this point. I would like to thank you all for your continued reading. As a gift for you my readers I would like to extend an opportunity to choose a mascot for our beloved Enma University team. I will take my favorite three and hold a vote on them in a later chapter, so please leave a comment/review on what you think the mascot should be! Thank you all!

Disclaimer: Any original characters are property of myself and myself only. Eyeshield 21 is a series created by Riichigo Inagaki and Yusuke Murata. All characters of Eyeshield 21 are property of the original creators, Shonen Jump and Viz Media. Any references to the NFL and its players are copyrighted by the NFL and credited to their respective teams.

Several days had gone since the date night at Lone Star's and the week had gone smoothly. The team had practiced their anti-Nishi game plan to death and the Enma University squad felt ready to take on the world. Sena had walked Suzuna home each and every night, and each night departed with a loving kiss. Sena found himself becoming much more comfortable around his girlfriend and he truly enjoyed every moment he spent with her.

He wanted her to be proud of him, and he aimed to do that very thing when he faced Taki's team tomorrow. The brunette's blood boiled with anticipation for the skirmish game. Subconsciously he wanted to make an ass out of Taki as well for letting their secret out prematurely, and considering the running back's tentative nature it was his only form of revenge.

"Only 15 more hours." Sena smirked as he noted the time on his ticking away on his desk. The running back had already escorted his beloved home for the evening and had retired earlier than usual to his own abode. A stark seriousness crossed the teen's face as he lay in bed, arms crossed behind his head. Tomorrow he would not hold back. Tomorrow he would make his woman proud.

The next day arrived and the sun rose brightly towards the center of the sky. Kick off was scheduled for 1:00 pm and Suzuna was busy bustling around the bench getting things ready for the team along with Juri. As they were busy going about setting up the water table and getting other menial sideline equipment ready a deep and familiar foreign voice greeted the duo.

"Konnichiha!" Dante greeted, exaggerating each syllable as he approached them waving with a smile.

"Hi!" both girls replied with their best English accents to tease the hairy red head.

"Hey I'm not that bad am I?" he scoffed feigning hurt. This only drew a chuckle from the girls. If one thing could be said of the crimson haired American it was that he made friends quick and had settled in rather quickly at Enma. His charisma was oddly contagious and even if he was a chowder head at times his hearty laugh always seemed to lighten the mood.

"So what brings you out so early? The game doesn't start for another hour." Suzuna asked curiously.

"Well I figured since I can't play anyway I might as well make some use out of myself. I don't like sitting around. I get too antsy."

"Oh that's right, you can't play till the fall because of the transfer rules." Suzuna trailed off remembering that midseason additions to Enma had to wait until the following semester to play in team sports.

"That's ok. It just gives me more time to learn the play book and stuff. So how can I help?" said the foreigner while laughing off the technicality.

Suzuna pursed her lips in thought and Juri snapped her fingers as she remembered something. "We couldn't carry the water buffalos out here because they were too heavy for us. They're back at the sports equipment room. Could you fill them with water and bring them down here for us?" asked the blue haired manager.

"You got it Blue Bell!" he saluted and took off at top speed towards the equipment room. Juri just stared at his back muttering with a twitch in her eye.

Suzuna's face swelled with partially contained laugher. When Juri noticed the cheer captain's puffed out cheeks and sputtering she shouted, "And just what's so funny _SQUIRT_!" exaggerating the nickname Dante had appointed the darker haired teen, stealing her mirth instantly. Suzuna's amusement melted into a furrowed brow as he chucked a pom-pom at the manager.

Dante arrived at the equipment room a short while later and found four empty water buffalos sitting in the corner. The bushy browed American trotted over and nabbed all four of them by their handles and carried them to the larger sink on the opposite side of the room. There was a hose on the faucet and only one knob that administered filtered cold water when opened. He slowly filled each of the four buffalos and realized that he wouldn't be able to carry all four of the five gallon containers once they were full, at least not unless he could find some rope.

The shaggy athlete began to dig through the messy equipment room in search of a rope as the final buffalo was filling with water. His efforts were rewarded when he came across a long piece of climber's cable. With a triumphant grin he then returned to the water buffalos and threaded the rope through their handles so that at each end of the twine there were two of the containers. Once he was satisfied with his knot work he bent low and placed the middle of the rope behind his neck so that is was supported by his broad shoulders. He clenched his hands around both ends of the rope near to the buffalos and let out a mighty growl and he focused on the muscles in his legs. He lifted the water jugs with all his might and kicked open the door as he staggered his way back to the field.

Suzuna and Juri both gasped in amazement as the bristly exchange student staggered up to them with four full water buffalos hanging from his shoulders. The hairy teen stopped in front of them and grew irritated as they just stared at him.

"Well? Where you want em? These things are fucking heavy!" he snapped.

Juri and Suzuna jolted out of their daze. "There is fine!" they both shouted out of concern. The fiery foreigner grunted in acknowledgment and crouched dropping the dead weight. He released a sigh of relief after unloading his burden. He stretched his arms out and roared away his anguish.

"Jeez Dante, you didn't have to bring all four of them at once!" Juri scolded the bushy browed American.

"Yeah are you ok? You didn't hurt yourself did you?" Suzuna asked with concern.

Dante popped his eyes open with a raise of his bushy eyebrows. "I hadn't thought of that…" he stated simply. The foreigner stretched his arm out across his chest and mumbled, "I'm ok though. I got some pretty strong shoulders so no worries Squirt."

Dante managed to catch the pom-pom she launched at his face and he let out a big wide grin and chortled at the cheer captain. "You're gonna have to do better than that Squirt! HAHAHA!" guffawed the shaggy haired athlete as he dodged other objects that were launched his way.

"Don't call me that!" Suzuna squealed as she sent wave after wave of any objects she could grab his way.

The ballsy exchange student continued to guffaw as he bounded to and fro avoiding Suzuna's projectiles. Juri could only laugh at their shenanigans as the time ticked away until the opening kickoff.

Enma's locker room was full of its usual ruckus. Players were equipping themselves with pads and tape while having their teammate help stretch their uniforms on over top the gaudy armor. One could be surprised how much of a pain it was to get a uniform on over top of that awkward arrangement of padding.

Mizumachi was still nearly naked and was running around whipping people with a wet towel as he usually did. This started a small towel war between him and Monta which left both of the idiocy prone players covered in welts. Kotaro laughed at the pair's misfortune and immediately regretted his decision. The pair of towel whipped teens turned their fury onto the poor kicker and he ran to and fro receiving sharp snaps to his rear for his mirth. This drew a chorus of laughter from the rest of the team as they looked on.

There was still about an hour to kick off but the team needed to be ready for their pregame warm up and stretches. The team finally managed to get dressed and even Mizumachi was fully clad when they arrived at the field. Suzuna, Juri, and Dante were all waiting for them by the sidelines.

Kotaro went over to greet his girlfriend as she was busily shifting through her notes and put his hands over her eyes from behind. In his best impression of Mizumachi he said, "Guess who?"

"Kotaro… get the hell off me…" she groaned in a monotone voice.

"Aw you're no fun!" he pouted as he took a seat beside her.

After milling around for a few moments and making small talk with the sideline brigade, team Enma made their way to the open field to begin their pregame stretches and exercises. Meanwhile Dante sat on the bench lazily watching his teammates prepare their muscles for the game. He let out a soft sigh of jealousy. _"I wanna play too dammit!"_ He thought with a frown and didn't notice Suzuna approach him from the side with a cup of water.

"Sucks you can't play today." She said as she handed him the liquid.

Dante looked up at her absently and took the glass. "Yeah. Twinkle Toes get's to have all the fun." He said as he took a swig of water motioning towards the running back.

"Don't worry you'll get to play again soon enough." She said in an attempt to cheer up the depressed foreigner.

"Yeah in 3 months… Assuming the old man can stay put in one place long enough for that to happen…" he muttered while chewing on the edge of his cup as he leaned forward onto his thighs.

Suzuna winced a bit thinking she had only made the situation worse. An awkward silence fell over the pair as they watched the team warming up. She searched desperately for a way to change the subject before blurting out. "So, why do you call Sena Twinkle Toes?"

Dante raised a bushy eyebrow at the girl. "Ain't that obvious? Fastest little bastard I ever played, and he's the only one who's gotten past me. Quick feet, quick witted, equals Twinkle Toes."

"Then why am I squirt?" she pouted.

"Cause your little, Squirt." The red headed foreigner said sticking out his tongue, and before she could hit him he added, "Besides. You remind me of my little sister… that was her nick name." A touch of sadness came over his eyes as he mentioned that.

"You have a little sister?" She asked. "Did she move to Japan too?"

Dante looked up at her with surprise unsure how to answer the question. His eyes dropped though in sadness and he leaned forward again on his thighs. "Nah… she ain't moving much anywhere any more… She was killed by a drunk driver 5 years ago…"

"Oh Dante… I'm sorry… I… I had no idea. I.." she started to apologize but the unpredictable foreigner cut her off.

"Hey wanna hear everyone else's nick names?" He asked jovially.

Suzuna paused for a second and couldn't help but smile at the toothy grinned foreigner as he patiently awaited her answer. "Sure." She said with a smirk.

"Alright! You point em out and I'll tell you their names!"

Suzuna perked up a bit and giggled at the American's enthusiasm, glad to have changed the subject. She brought her finger to her pursed lips in thought and pointed towards Mizumachi first.

"Fish Stick." Dante stated flatly.

Suzuna's pointer faltered when she heard the name and she couldn't hold back an uncontrollable fit of laughter, "Oh that is just too perfect!" She had to wipe tears from her eyes before she could manage to point to Kurita.

"Cream Puff"

Suzuna nodded giggling, "Fitting, fitting!" and then pointed to Kotaro.

"Hmm… Pinto." He said rubbing his chin thoughtfully.

"Why Pinto?" Suzuna asked with confusion.

"Why not?" He answered loudly.

Suzuna just shrugged not quite understanding the choice of name for Kotaro, but figured she'd better just let it go. She then pointed towards Riku and asked, "What about him?"

"Prince."

Suzuna gave him a raised eyebrow but thought about the name for a moment. "I guess he does come across as a prince sometimes huh?"

"Just a little entitled." Dante agreed pressing his index to his thumb in front of his face to emphasize his point.

Suzuna nodded seeming satisfied with that and then pointed to Monta wholly expecting an apish name for her friend.

"Mitts." Dante said flexing his fingers on both hands out in front of his face to indicate the receiver's giant hands.

"Huh, that's not what I was expecting." Suzuna pouted disappointed with the semi respectful nickname.

"You were betting on Monkey or something right?" he asked chuckling.

Suzuna stammered not admitting to anything and quickly pointed towards Unsui.

"Cue ball" Dante stated rubbing his hair pretending to be bald.

Suzuna giggled at the final name indicating her approval. "I guess you really do give everyone nick names don't you?" She laughed.

"Everyone deserves a nick name Squirt!" He guffawed while slapping his thigh.

"Hey you're right! I need to give you a nickname Dante! Hmmm let me think here for a second." The cheer captain pursed her lips and crinkled her nose and eyebrows in an attempt to make the thoughts flow. Dante just sat there patiently if not nervously waiting for her to come up with something. Suzuna clapped her hands together in an epiphany.

"Chewy!"

Dante furrowed his brow in disappointment immediately understanding what she was referring to. "Ugh…. To be dubbed a wooky…" he muttered. Suzuna smiled at his disappointment thinking she had finally gotten revenge for her own moniker but Dante's torso began to quake with laughter. "HAHAHA that's great Squirt! Good on ya!" He jumped up and grabbed the cheer captain and began swinging her around in the air laughing heartily the whole time.

"Ahhh! Put me down you big ape!" she screeched in protest. This only egged the foreigner on, and he laughed all the more.

Next time on Eyeshield Heart: The Nishi vs Enma game has finally begun. Can Enma stop Hanada's no look passes or with the Koi Fishes fall to Enma's collection of all stars? Find out next time!


	17. Enma vs Nishi

Disclaimer: Any original characters are property of myself and myself only. Eyeshield 21 is a series created by Riichigo Inagaki and Yusuke Murata. All characters of Eyeshield 21 are property of the original creators, Shonen Jump and Viz Media. Any references to the NFL and its players are copyrighted by the NFL and credited to their respective teams.

It was exactly 1:00 pm when the captains of Enma and Nishi University met on the field for the coin flip. The result was that Enma would receive the ball first. Both teams lined up for the opening kickoff and just when the kicker from Nishi connected with the ball the crowd erupted with cheers for their home team.

Suzuna and the other cheer leaders were riling up the crowd with their performance. A chant of "Eye-shield, Eye-Shield" was booming from the crowd and the cheer team as the running back received the kickoff. The field was now Sena's domain, and woe be anyone in his way.

The greatest runner of his era blasted down the field following Mizumachi and Monta as they opened a path for him. The announcer could be heard over the speakers shouting, "And our very own Eye shield 21 is blasting past the Nishi defenders to the 30, the 40, the 50! He's got the kicker to beat and… BLAMO! No one's gonna catch him now! TOUCHDOWN ENMA!"

Sena stood in the end zone and held the ball in the air triumphantly. No one would touch him this day. Today he was running for Suzuna. Today he would make her proud! As Enma's ace turned to the sidelines he locked eyes with his girlfriend and gave her a thumbs up. She was jumping up and down enthusiastically.

"Yaaa! Sena! Knock em dead!" and she finished with a shrill whistle towards her boyfriend.

"Way to go Twinkle Toes! Kick some ass!" bellowed Dante as he pumped his fist along with the cheer captain.

On the opposite side line Hanada and Daisuke looked on in amazement. Surprisingly as Taki approached them from the bench he stated simple and with surprising intelligence, "I told you not to kick it to him. Aha-ha!" The former Deimon tight end pulled his long hair back into a pony tail. "Now it's our turn." He said with predictable optimism. With that the goateed idiot made his way onto the field to receive the kick off.

Hanada and Daisuke remained on the bench being specialty players that only played on the offensive and defensive sides of the ball. Nishi University was a small school but had a surprising number of members for their football team. More than enough for their aces to rest as needed anyway. Enma on the other hand was another Deimon, needing fill-ins for their team to play.

"This could get bad…" Hanada said in a worried voice.

"Oh grow some balls for once!" Daisuke scolded as he smacked his quarterback on the back of his head. "Just play like we always do and we won't lose. They're nothing but a bunch of fill-ins anyway. The only one we have to stop is 21 there."

"Maybe…" said the inexperienced quarterback doubtfully.

When Nishi received the ball they only managed to return it to their 30 yard line before being tackled. The Koi Fishes huddled up and Hanada had his team mates line up in a shotgun formation. The opposing quarterback slowly made his way under center with shaky legs. Sena had picked up on his uneasiness and got an idea.

"Blue Delta 456, Blue Delta 456!" the running back commanded and the rest of his teammates nodded as they switched around positions. Instead of four down defensive lineman only Kurita and 2 filler players remained down and Mizumachi stood up towards the right defensive end. Sena and Riku were lined up on two of the receivers to Mizumachi's right and Monta and a replacement player were on the two receivers opposite of that. Unsui was forced to play middle linebacker because of their shortage of real athletes and he was the lone player to stay in his position.

"_What are they up to?_" Hanada wondered as he saw the switch up in their formation.

On the sidelines Dante grinned evilly. "Hehe, Twinkle Toes you maniacal bastard…" he chuckled.

"What's he going to do?" Suzuna asked the hairy foreigner.

"Just keep an eye on your boyfriend Squirt, you'll see." Dante said with a toothy grin and focused brow.

Suzuna let the use of her hated nickname slip and instead did pay attention her beloved and held her breath.

"Hut, Hut!" Hanada cried out as the ball was hiked to him. He took two steps back and observed the field. To his left Mizumachi was closing quickly and it wouldn't be long until Kurita had tossed Daisuke aside. He had to react quickly for Mizumachi had already chucked his opponent to the side with his famous swim technique. "_Umezawa is running a hook route, he should be open!" _Hanada thought desperately as he raised his arm to throw the ball looking towards an _open_ Umezawa. Just before Mizumachi collided with Hanada the Nishi quarterback threw the ball in the direction of Umezawa. There was no point in using a no-look pass if someone was clearly open right? Besides it wasn't like Hanada had much time to choose his target with Mizumachi in his face.

All of these things were running through Hanada's mind until a dark shadow clouded over his vision. The numbers 21 soared in front of his pass intended for Umezawa and the ball disappeared into its waiting hands.

"Yaaa! Interception!" Suzuna cried as her heart throb descended with the ball.

Hanada's surprise showed clearly on his face, as it did on ever Nishi player. "How? When? Shit!" he shouted as he tried to chase down the running back, but he was stopped by six feet and eight inches of blonde lineman.

"Forgetting someone?" Mizumachi pouted as he shoved the quarterback into the ground. The last thing Hanada saw before he hit the dirt was the number 21 thundering down the field towards another touchdown.

The quarterback could only reiterate his earlier concern. "This is gonna be bad."

The score was 14 to 0 in just under one minute of game play so it wasn't difficult to see Hanada's angst. The Koi Fishes would be decimated before halftime at this rate. It was time for Nishi's quarterback to break out his ace in the hole.

Nishi returned the following kickoff to the 38 yard line and the Koi Fish huddled around their quarterback. Hanada looked to his teammates with some doubt before nodding and taking a deep breath. "It looks like there's no way we can beat Enma without the no-look passes. From here on out all you receivers need to run perfect routes and be ready. If you get jammed at the line, get back on course. Sena's got the speed to intercept anything that's not on time. Got it?"

His teammates all grunted in response. "Alright, reverse circle double R on two ready? Break!" Handa barked as the huddle broke up and took the form of a shot gun offense. Enma was back to its base 4-3 defensive package and Sena kept a wary eye on Hanada.

"_He's more confident now… Something is up." _ The running back thought. "Stark 94! Stark 94!" Sena shouted to alert his team. Before the game each Enma player had come up with an individual safety code that anyone was to shout if they expected a no-look pass play. Sena's happened to be 'Stark 94.'

Monta and Riku tensed up as they heard their team captain omit the order. This meant that they and Sena would have to really be on top of their receivers.

Hanada received the hiked ball and took a three step drop looking for passing targets. Monta and Riku both plowed their hands into their receivers' chests performing a heart bump. Both of the mediocre athletes seized up and stuttered a few steps before regaining some kind of composure. They attempted to get back on course but they were definitely a step behind. Sena similarly struck the receiver he was covering at the line as well and the opposing athlete fell down to the ground.

The running back froze for a moment in shock that he could actually knock down a receiver with only one hand. The running back shifted his sights towards Hanada to see how much time the quarterback had before Kurita or Mizumachi found him. That alone was Sena's mistake.

In the time that Sena had looked to Hanada the Nishi quarterback was already throwing towards him while looking in Monta's direction. Normally Sena would have more than enough time to react to the farce but because he had taken his eyes off of his receiver and his surrounding area for a second he did not see what was barreling his way.

Natsuhiko Taki bore into Sena's chest to block the ace runner from tackling the now standing Nishi receiver. Sena silently chided himself for his error and cursed openly as he was no match for Taki in terms of strength. The tight end easily held Sena long enough for the opposing receiver to catch the ball and run around them.

"Aha-ha! How do you like our false hook screen Sena?" the idiot laughed as he bore Sena into the ground. Sena tried to shout to Monta and Riku to go after the receiver but saw that they were now similarly blocked by their opponents. "Aha-ha! I have passed on my gentle block to my apprentices! Aha-ha!"

With all three of Enma's backfield stars tangled up in blocks there was no one left to stop the Nishi receiver on his path to the end zone. Sena watched as his opponent tromped in for a touchdown and rued his mistake all the while.


	18. Enma vs Nishi II

Disclaimer: Any original characters are property of myself and myself only. Eyeshield 21 is a series created by Riichigo Inagaki and Yusuke Murata. All characters of Eyeshield 21 are property of the original creators, Shonen Jump and Viz Media. Any references to the NFL and its players are copyrighted by the NFL and credited to their respective teams.

Sena watched as the score board lit up 14-7 as Nishi's kicker successfully made the point after kick attempt. He was furious about his mistake. If he hadn't taken his eyes off his man on the prior play he would have seen Taki coming to block him and could have adjusted to make the tackle and prevent the touchdown. But more than that he was angry about looking like a fool in front of Suzuna, for he wasn't worried about keeping up with Nishi offensively. The situation just steamed him because he had wanted to look unstoppable and infallible in front of his beloved, but instead not even 4 minutes into the first quarter he had given up a huge play for a score.

The Enma University squad lined up for the kickoff with their normal formation and awaited their chance to return the favor to Nishi. Sena waited eagerly, clenching his fists tightly and gritting his teeth wanting nothing more than to grind his feet into the field and make fools out of Nishi. Sena was mad, unbefittingly so and the running back didn't notice Nishi's kicker make a slightly altered movement in his step in.

By the time Sena or any of the other Enma players noticed what was going on the Koi fish had already kicked the ball and the lofty bobble floated only ten yards from where it had been launched. It was an onside kick, and it came to a complete and total surprise to every player on Enma's roster as it bounced its way towards Kurita and Mizumachi.

Neither the rotund nor the gangly linemen were adept at catching the bouncing ball and could only hope to jump on the zig-zagging pigskin as it bounded towards them before Nishi could. Mizumachi immediately dove in an exaggerated flourish towards the oblong ball but was impeded by Daisuke. Nishi's ace lineman managed to get his arms up under Mizumachi's torso and used his superior strength to hurl the gangly lineman away as he thundered towards the ball. Kurita was the closest to the ball when Daisuke approached but the Nishi lineman proved to be the faster of the two and pounced on the oblong egg.

"Recovered by Nishi on their own 46 yard line!" Shouted the referee.

"DAMN IT!" Monta cursed along with many others as disbelief and surprise wafted over the players of Enma.

"_Who would have thought they'd try an onside kick?" _Sena thought bewildered, his rage subsiding for a moment of intrigue and competitive interest. In spite of himself the running back found a smirk sneaking its way onto his face and his heart began to beat a little faster to the thrill of a real opponent.

* * *

On the sidelines Suzuna pouted and whined, "That's not fair! Doing an onside kick so early!"

"All is fair in love and war Squirt." Dante muttered with a crossed arms and a scowl before adding, "Besides it's really the only chance they have at keeping up with us."

"How do you mean?" the navy haired cheer captain asked.

"Keep it out of Twinkle Toes hands" he nodded towards the running back, "And they have a slight chance. If only that."

"They wish!" she growled as she stuck her tongue out at Nishi. "Sena's gonna kick their ass! GOOO ENMA, KNOCK EM DEAD EYESHIELD!" she hollered towards the field.

Dante's grin widened mischievously as he eyed the cheer captain. The hairy American uncrossed his arms and cupped his hands to his mouth and bellowed. "COME ON TWINKLE TOES, YOU'RE LOOKING LIKE A BITCH IN FRONT OF YOUR WOMAN! NOW GO KICK SOME KOI FISH ASS!"

The entirety of team Enma and Nishi all blanched and stared incredulously at the boisterous foreigner as he dodged projectiles chucked his way by Suzuna guffawing all the while. Sena felt about as big as a flea under the gaze of his teammates as they entered their defensive huddle. But as he stared at his teammates there was no empathy in their eyes, no judgment, just eyes searching for his guidance for he was their captain, their general, and a general must not disappoint even when it looked dire… or was horribly embarrassed in front of an entire football field. Sena hardened himself and gathered his thoughts.

Even if they managed to cover their receivers perfectly Hanada was an extremely accurate quarterback, he'd find an opening eventually. If they couldn't hope to cover forever all they could do is get to the deceptive quarter back before he could get a pass off. It was time for Hanada to taste some blitzes. Sena looked to his team mates and simply said, "Pinch pattern alpha."

As Enma broke from their huddle they lined up in their usual 4-3 formation with Sena and Riku lining up on their respective wide receivers. Hanada was calling, "Hike, hike!" trying to get Enma to jump off sides but they were seasoned veterans and would not fall for such a tactic. When Daisuke finally did snap the ball to Hanada he had to focus all of his strength into stopping the indomitable Kurita. It was all he could do to buy half of half of a second for his quarterback, and the only reason he could hold Kurita back for even that length of time was technique alone. Hanada felt confident enough that he could throw the ball before either Kurita or Mizumachi could get to him, but they weren't the ones he had to worry about.

As Hanada stepped back in the pocket he saw Riku coming at him from out of the corner of his eye and knew that meant Riku had left his man uncovered. He turned his attention towards Riku and indeed his receiver was open with Unsui trailing more than a few steps behind in coverage. Hanada cocked his arm to launch the ball, for if a receiver was blatantly open there was no need for a no look pass. However it was an unseen attack that took the Nishi commander by surprise.

Just as Hanada was about to make the forward motion to pass Sena collided with the unprotected quarterback from behind, knocking the ball loose, and Riku was ready and waiting for it. The nimble blond picked up the fumbled ball and began dashing away towards the end zone.

Hanada could only watch and curse himself for being careless as he watched the former Seibu runner claim another six points for Enma. As the quarterback attempted to right himself he saw Sena towering over him. He couldn't believe the intimidating pressure that was exuding from the undersized running back, and without realizing it Hanada found himself covered in a cold sweat. Cold eyes stared at him from under the eye shield and it was then that Hanada realized, that he didn't stand a chance. The Nishi quarterback found himself feeling incredibly small as Sena turned and marched triumphantly to the bench.

"Ya-h! Se-na-!" Suzuna cheered as her lover made his way towards the bench. She rushed out and jumped into his arms crushing him with a joyful embrace. Sena returned her hug and grinned proudly. Dante stared on and smiled smugly and gave the running back a thumbs up as he caught his eye. Sena grinned and gave the foreigner a slight nod. The trio turned to see Riku practically being tossed through the air by a bouncing and twirling Kurita who was overjoyed with the turnover.

"Put me down Kurita!" the grouchy blonde complained.

"Sorry Riku-kun, I just can't help myself football is so fun! Hahaha!" The rotund lineman laughed as he placed the agitated teen down. Kurita stretched out his arms and let out a great and mighty roar of joy and pounded his chest. "Three more quarters to go!" he bellowed with enthusiasm.

The rest of their team raised their fists in response and let out a hearty "Harumph!"

* * *

And so it went, Enma scoring on every offensive possession with ease and stopping all but one other touchdown and two field goals by Nishi for the remainder of the game. The final score of the massacre was 70 to 20. As he intended Sena finished the game with stellar stats on both sides of the ball. The star running back had scored a total of seven touchdowns: two defensively on interceptions, two kickoff returns for touchdowns, one punt return, and two offensively. He had more than made up for his early game debacle and had made a proud showing of himself in front of Suzuna who had landed a very passionate kiss on the brunette after the game had ended for his efforts.

And so the final game of the spring skirmish matches ended for Enma. The team had all changed into their street clothes and departed but Sena had stayed behind to wait for Suzuna as she helped Juri take care of some last minute tasks. Soon summer would descend upon the campus and The Enma University Ligers would begin their summer training. As Sena stood waiting for Suzuna after the game he considered the hardships to come in training for the fall Rice Bowl qualification tournament. Perhaps the summer to come would bring new friends and new challenges to him and his friends.

As the running back pondered these thoughts a pair of slender arms came around his chest from behind. Suzuna pressed her face into Sena's back and nuzzled the super star. When she broke the embrace Sena locked his hand with hers and they took off towards home.

Sena's thoughts drifted back to the summer ahead and the months that had passed. He turned to view his navy haired beauty and warmth flooded into his heart. It had been a spring to remember and he was truly glad to have Suzuna by his side. Whatever the summer to come would hold, whatever hardships he would endure, he would always have her. He gazed into the horizon then and strode forward confidently. The road to the Rice Bowl begins now. He was ready.

* * *

I would like to apologize for taking forever to update guys and gals. With the spring semester starting up I find that homework is taking up more and more of my time. I promise to keep writing Eyeshield Heart but I can't promise the updates will be frequent. I will do my best though, and once again thanks to all who continue to read.

P.S. the winner of the mascot contest goes to archsage328 with the entry of the Ligers. Congratulations.


	19. Sena's Plight

Disclaimer: Any original characters are property of myself and myself only. Eyeshield 21 is a series created by Riichigo Inagaki and Yusuke Murata. All characters of Eyeshield 21 are property of the original creators, Shonen Jump and Viz Media. Any references to the NFL and its players are copyrighted by the NFL and credited to their respective teams.

It seemed as though summer had barely even started before the first month had already been shaven away. The first part of training camp had been intense and more than a few new hopefuls had come and gone from the ranks of Enma. However, some promising new blood would join the Ligers in the next coming week and Sena was to meet with the new recruits in seven days time for try outs.

One of the new hopefuls was no stranger to Sena or the other former Devil Bats. Chuubou had already informed his former team mates that he had passed the midsummer entrance exams and would be joining the Ligers as soon as he was moved in.

Sena of course had been delighted to hear that the young lineman would be joining the club. This instantly improved their offensive line. Having Kurita, Mizumachi, and now Chuubou definitely meant there would be some better running lanes for the brunette teen. Now all they needed were two more solid linemen and their offensive attack would truly be potent enough to deal with Saikyoudai.

The lithe runner pondered the possibilities as he munched on a piece of toast at his kitchen table. He was hoping that the Ligers would get another wide receiver as well to help Monta and Riku spread the field some more as well. Time would tell in the coming days if any of the 6 prospects other than Chuubou would have the right stuff to play for Enma and finally relieve the filler players from their "duties."

But that was a week away and Sena had other matters at hand for the day. Suzuna was due over any minute and the two had planned a three day trip to the beach for their six month anniversary. Sena had already packed all of his beach wear and other necessities and was excited for the trip. However he was also terrified at the same time.

Sena looked at a small box sitting on his kitchen table and blushed with embarrassment. He couldn't believe the situation that had brought that box to him. "Dante why must you do this to me…" the distressed teen cried ruffling his own hair in frustration. He glanced once more at the box on the table and the whole embarrassing situation came flooding back.

* * *

"_So Mitts tells me you are taking little Squirty-poo to the beach there stud. That true?" Asked the ever emphatic foreigner as the pair of former Notre Damers were walking home from practice. _

"_Mitts?" Sena asked confused._

_Dante made a motion of scratching his arm pit with one arm and made some "ook ook" noises to show who he was referring to. _

"_Oh… Monta…" the running back inferred, slightly ashamed that he could immediately recognize the simian posture for his friend. "Yeah we're going to the beach for our six month anniversary for a few days."_

_Dante smirked lecherously and began to nudge Sena suggestively with his elbow. "You dirty dog you. Finally gonna pop…"_

"_DANTE!" Sena screeched. He knew what the safety turned linebacker was referring to and instantly turned into a red stuttering idiot. "I…I… I ca..can't do that! I d…don't wa…want her to think I'm a…. a…"_

"_Man?"_

"_P…P..Perv.. AHHHHH!" Sena threw up his arms to tear through his wild hair and cover up his red face. Dante just laughed heartily and began thumbing his nose. _

"_Nothing to be a prude about Twinkle Toes. Only Natural really. I mean you two have been together for half a year and have been like this…" the fuzzy red head crossed two of his fingers together to emphasize his point, "…for like three or four years right."_

"_We..well still…" the puny runner stammered while pressing his index fingers together._

_The bushy browed American turned and put his face only inches away from Sena's. The crazy haired runner shrank back a bit not sure what to expect. Dante puffed out his cheeks and blew out a gust of feigned airy confusion. "Unless you're GAY!" he teased, twisting his mouth into an indescribable grin. _

_Sena just narrowed his eyes and growled and mumbled incoherently and shot the foreigner a dirty look. "It.. it's not that. I… I just don't…"_

"_Hold that thought." Dante interrupted the embarrassed teen as he turned towards a convenience store the pair was passing. "Be right back." And with that the bushy browed teen disappeared into the little market and left Sena waiting in the street with his own thoughts._

"_Sigh… It's not that I wouldn't want to do that with Suzuna-chan but… who am I to say that she's ready… or even if I am…I've never done anything like that before! Sigh… I don't want to rush anything or push her away. Oh… what should I do?" the distressed running back thought to himself as he waited for his barbarous friend. _

_After a few minutes passed the hairy American exited the store and waltzed over to the runner. The former safety looked at Sena with all seriousness and extended a closed fist indicating that Sena should take something. "Here." He said._

_Sena held out his open palm tentatively and the tactless red head pressed a small square box into his hand. Sena glanced down at the package with some confusion and then shrieked in surprise when he saw what it was. Sitting in his hand was a box of condoms. The embarrassed brunette thought that he was going to die of shame. _

"_Wh..what the hell is this! Just what the hell do you want me to do with these!" The shocked runner stuttered angrily. _

"_Dude, I'm not going to tell you what you're supposed to do with them! Don't they teach you that in school?" Dante said flatly with one eye closed._

"_I can't take these! What will Suzuna do if she finds these? She'll think I'm a pervert!" Sena stammered while thrusting the box back at Dante indicating he should take them back. _

"_No way man, those are yours now!"_

"_Take them back!"_

"_NO!"_

"_YES!"_

"_NO!"_

"_YES!"_

"_NO DAMN IT!" Dante roared crossing his arms with finality._

_Sena finally backed down and looked at the box with shame and embarrassment. A tense moment passed while Dante was still eyeing the runner with one eye. Dante uncrossed his burly arms and let out a regretful sigh._

"_Look Twinkle Toes, nothing says you gotta use the damn things… but it's better to have them and not need them then need them and not have them… Just hide them in your bag or something. Who knows, you might even get lucky." Dante place a humongous firm hand on the teens shoulder in an attempt to comfort his friend. _

_Sena sighed in defeat and tried to argue meakly, "But what if she finds them… what… what if she."_

_Before the running back could finish Dante smacked him across the back of the head. "Dude, shut the fuck up about that. There is no way in hell that little cutie pie is ever gonna leave your ass over something like that. Hell she might even commend you for actually growing some balls for once you little wuss." _

_The light speed runner brought a hand to rub the spot Dante had hit, sighed again and thought, "Why do things like this happen to me…?" He looked disdainfully at the contraceptives and jammed them into his pocket. Even the sight of them embarrassed him. But perhaps Dante had a point. "You never know I guess…" Sena said in the smallest voice possible. Dante's keen ears picked up on the pathetic admission anyway, and gave the brunette a hearty slap on the back. _

"_HAHA! That's the spirit Twinkle Toes! Now come on Ramen's on me tonight! AAOOWOOOO!" howled the beastly foreigner. And with that, the capricious American scooped up the comparatively smaller running back under one arm and rocketed off towards the noodle vendor. _


	20. Just Us Girls

Disclaimer: Any original characters are property of myself and myself only. Eyeshield 21 is a series created by Riichigo Inagaki and Yusuke Murata. All characters of Eyeshield 21 areproperty of the original creators, Shonen Jump and Viz Media. Any references to the NFL and its players are copyrighted by the NFL and credited to their respective teams.

**Hey everyone, sorry it took so long to update. This is going to be a long one, I hope you all enjoy it.**

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* * *

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It was the night before her big trip to the beach with her boyfriend and Suzuna had decided to have the girls over for a slumber party before her trek of love. There was to be gushing about boyfriends and sappy romance movies and many sweets and goodies and all the other good things girls did during slumber parties.

Although it was still pretty early in the evening the girls were due to arrive at any time. Suzuna had already set out the snacks and drinks for the party and was setting up her living room to make space for the girls. She had moved her glass coffee table to the far side of the room and had placed all food on it. Her couch was in its normal position against the wall that led into the hallway and her bean bag chair was randomly placed on the floor in front of the sofa. There was a small stack of romance movies and a few boxes of tissues scattered in front of the huge plasma screen which hung on the wall.

Suzuna was in a pair of dark blue pajama bottoms that were covered in little white clouds and wore a pink cami to top it all off. The navy haired teen made her way back to her bedroom to bring out a tub of nail polish and other make up for make-overs as well. On her way back down the hallway with the menagerie of makeup she heard the doorbell ring.

"Come on in its open" the cheer captain shouted from the hall.

The door creaked and Suzuna entered her kitchen to find Mamori shuffling through the entrance with a sleeping bag and a pillow. Mamori dropped her beddings and looked up to greet her friend.

"Suzuna!"

"Yaa~~~~! Mamo-nee!"

The two girls shrieked and crushed each other in an enthusiastic bouncy hug.

"I haven't seen you in like forever Mamo-nee! I'm so glad you could make it all the way from Saikyoudai!"

"Haha I missed you too Suzuna, it has been too long!"

As the pair of reunited friends broke their embrace Suzuna noticed a small box on the doorstep behind Mamori along with a bag of clothing. On closer examination though Suzuna finally realized what the box was. The cheer captain gasped, "Mamo-nee, you didn't! Are those?"

The former Deimon manager looked at the box and smiled devilishly. "Cream puffs?" Mamori asked innocently then pausing for a moment before adding with a wink, "Possibly."

"Oh I don't know if those will last until the other girls get here then." Suzuna joked while smiling mischievously. Both of the beauties began to giggle and Suzuna helped her friend bring in the rest of her belongings, being sure to take extra care with the box of delicious pastries.

After placing her sleeping bag on the recently cleared living room floor Mamori took off to examine the huge television with wide eyes. "Suzuna! How did you afford this thing?" she asked in stark amazement.

Suzuna bashfully pressed her fingers together and mewled, "Aheh, that's courtesy of your boy friend's little card Mamo-nee."

A dark cloud descended over Mamori and she sighed deeply not surprised in the least. "I can't believe he gave all of you those malicious cards. It's bad enough he gets to run around getting away scot-free but he had to infect the rest of you too." The former Deimon manager sighed in defeat.

"Oh come on Mamo-nee, you have to admit it has its perks. Hell I can only imagine how much more 'privileged' you are, miss she devil." Suzuna teased while pointing her index fingers out from her forehead to imitate horns.

Mamori blushed a bit at the jab and could only muster a meek and unconvincing reply. "I… I have no idea what you mean."

While the girls were continuing to joke about the former Deimon manager's hellish boyfriend the piercing melody of the doorbell rang again and Suzuna jumped up to go meet it. The nimble cheerleader practically danced to the door before opening it to find Juri and her younger sister Shidao.

Shidao had a similar build as her older sister but had a smaller bust line and was a few inches shorter. Her eyes were a soft green-yellow color and she wore a light pastel green yellow colored top with pale blue sweat pants. Her hair was styled exactly like Juri's; save it was a few inches longer and was mint green in color. One could have easily mistaken them for twins if they didn't know that there was 2 years between the siblings.

"Juri, Shidao you made it! Come on in before Mamo-nee eats all the crème puffs." Suzuna laughed.

A long drawn out "Heeeey," could be heard from Mamori somewhere in the living room.

Juri joined in with their mirth but the shy Shidao just gave a small nearly invisible smile in response before shuffling inside. The Sawai sisters made their way to the living room and sat on the sofa. Mamori had made herself comfortable on the overstuffed bean bag chair and was already munching away at a crème puff. When Suzuna entered the living room she could only point and laugh at her friend as she nibbled on the confectionary treat.

Mamori could only muster, "What we can't let them get stale!" which drew another laugh from the girls, even Shidao managed to let out a muffled giggle.

"Well, try to save at least one for Wakana." Suzuna teased.

Mamori's eyes lit up maliciously before adding, "No promises!"

Once again the group of girls giggled and the festivities began. Juri and Mamori went to change into their pajamas and Suzuna put one of the romance flicks into her DVD player to let the opening trailers roll by while they waited for the pair of team managers. Shidao had managed to pull herself away from the couch and nab one of the much praised crème puffs from the snack table and approached Suzuna as she munched away.

"So… is it true that you're dating Eyeshield 21?" the younger Sawai sister asked shyly.

"Sure am!" Suzuna beamed as she turned away from the large television screen.

Shidao seemed to shrink back when the cheer captain met her gaze. The mint haired girl was incredibly shy and must have been forcibly dragged to the sleep over by her more outgoing sibling. When the 17 year old noticed Suzuna staring at her waiting for some kind of response she managed to feebly offer, "Oh… that's really cool…" before she rushed back to the couch and occupied herself with the crème puff.

"_She's a shy one…"_ Suzuna thought. There was an awkward silence between the pair for a moment. Suzuna though for a moment and asked, "Do you have a boyfriend?"

Shidao was jostled by the question and looked up in fear and quickly turned red. She looked hesitantly at the cheer captain and tentatively took another nibble at her crème puff.

"Well?" Suzuna asked while a lecherous smile crept over her visage.

"No… but… well… never mind…" the shy mint haired girl sighed.

"Oh come one now you're going to have to do better than that." Suzuna teased while her antennae began to point towards the shy teen.

Shidao pulled her knees to her chest and hid behind them. The poor girl blushed brightly and tried to resist. However one peak at Suzuna and her twitching antennae told her she would not escape. The shy teen sighed and managed to let out, "I… I'm not seeing anyone… but… there is someone I… I like… on the foot… on the football team."

Suzuna beamed at the delicious romance gossip tidbit and was about to dig into the younger Sawai sister more but was cut off by the elder of the two. Juri came waltzing back into the living room clad in a pair of banana colored fleece pajama pants covered in teddy bears and a white cami top.

The sky blue haired beauty paused when she entered the room, somehow sensing her bad timing, "Did I interrupt something?"

Suzuna took this as her chance to dig further romantic rumors on the teen. "Oh not really I was just about to ask your sister which _boy_ it was that she liked on the football team." Said the navy crowned teen innocently while eyeing Shidao.

"Oh what's this? My baby sister has a crush on one of our knuckleheads? Oh do dish baby sister, do dish!" Juri jeered.

The mint haired teen's eyes nearly busted out of her skull and she turned bright red. When both her sister and the demonic cheer captain began to jab her with questions left and right she tried to sink into the plush couch and disappear behind her curled up knees. Their questions kept coming at her with no relent and before she knew it she was looking for any distraction to sway the pair's attention away from her.

Somehow in between the stream of queries coming from her interrogators Shidao managed to squeak, "H…hey...w…where's Mamori?"

Without missing a beat Juri chided, "Don't go changing the subject little sister!"

"No..no really! Should it really take her this long to change?"

"What are you getting at?" Suzuna asked perceptively.

"W..well… isn't her boyfriend supposed to be some kind of super sneaky devil who does anything to get blackmail material?" stuttered the younger teen.

"You, don't think Hiruma would put a bug on her do you?" Juri asked.

Suzuna blanched and her eyes became very dark. "He definitely would…"

"MAMORI!" all three girls screeched in unison before tearing off down the hallway and into Suzuna's bedroom. Mamori who was standing topless at the time shrieked and attempted to cover herself.

"Jeez guys! Don't scare me like that!" The surprised brunette stammered.

"GET HER!" Suzuna and Juri roared as they pounced on their half naked friend.

"Eeek! Hey! What's going on?" Mamori shouted as the girls pinned her to Suzuna's bed.

"Where is it Mamo-nee? Where's the bug?" Suzuna asked with conviction.

"Wha..What?"

"Oh don't give me that! This is Hiruma we're talking about! He had to have put a bug on you somewhere!" Suzuna interceded.

"Yeah!" Juri added.

"Oh jeez… that's what this is about. Trust me Hiruma didn't bug me… if he did he'd be a dead man. And just to be sure, everything I brought with me I bought today on my way over. Look in my bag I still have the receipts!"

Suzuna narrowed her eyes skeptically. "Shidao!"

"Oh uh yeah…" The mint haired teen stammered before ruffling through Mamori's bag. She pulled out a few sheets of crumpled paper before saying in disbelief, "Wow… she actually did buy all these things today…"

Suzuna looked back at a fuming Mamori and smiled sheepishly as she and Juri let go of their friend. "Aheh… I guess this means even you don't trust Hiruma yet."

Mamori glowered at the girls for a moment and sighed in defeat. "Yeah… It's pretty bad when you can't even trust your boyfriend not to pry in on your girls' night out."

For a moment Suzuna could see real sadness in her friend's eyes and felt ashamed that they brought it up in the first place, especially considering how it was brought up. There was an awkward pause before Mamori sat up in just a pair of sky blue pajama bottoms and asked, "No offense but could I have my top please. I feel kind of… well… naked." a hint of red rushed into her cheeks having realized she was still topless.

"Oh r..right!" The three girls stammered in unison before handing the pale brunette a pink cami from her bag. Another awkward pause fell over the group but luckily it was interrupted by the door bell.

"_Perfect timing Wakana!" _Suzuna thought. "That must be Wakana! I'll get it, why don't you girls go get settled in for the first movie we'll meet you in the living room."

* * *

Several hours had passed with tearful movies and devoured sweets galore. The five teens had all braided each other's hair into elaborate twisted forests and had painted each others' nails a cornucopia of different colors as well during the romantic movie marathon. A pile of soggy tissues had collected in the middle of the floor created by the deluge of sobby endings. As the last movie ended the quintet of beauties all settled in for another, but a question broke the anticipation of the film.

"All right girls, I think it's time to gush. Time for some boy talk!" Juri said lecherously.

Suzuna's antennae sprang up and a twinkle gleamed in her eye and she added, "Oh let's do!"

Both Juri and Suzuna both looked menacingly at Shidao and evil grins spread across their faces. The younger Sawai sister cringed having hoped they had forgotten about her earlier confession.

"Spill it little sister, who do you like on the football team." Juri teased.

"Oh come on…" she tried to resist.

"Oh no you don't everyone here is going to dish and so will you." The blue haired teen warned.

"Why do I have to go first?" Shidao whined.

"Because you're the youngest." Juri sneered.

Shidao moaned in disagreement but the other girls only egged her sister on. Even Mamori and Wakana joined in their efforts to get the shy teen to relinquish her secret. After enough prodding the mint haired girl finally let in. "FINE!" she screamed. "The p..person… I li…like is…" she stuttered before barely wisphering "taro raimon…"

"MONTA?" Suzuna, Mamori, and Juri all shouted in unison and disbelief.

Wakana was alone in her uncertainty of his identity and asked, "The wide receiver right, number 80?"

"Yeah, that's the one. You really like Monta? Why?" Juri asked honestly confused. Sure he was a fun going guy and was fun to be around but she could in no way find him attractive in any sense of the word.

The younger Sawai sister looked up behind her pulled in knees and burnt cheeks and actually said, "Because he's a strong willed man. He always sticks up for his friends no matter how bad it seems. He's strong… and… and I think his catches are… are cool… And his side burns are way nicer than Kotaro's!" she added while sticking her tongue out at her sister. This brought a burst of pent up laughter from Suzuna and Mamori as Juri sulked at the unexpected brashness of her shy sister. Juri simmered for a few seconds before she angrily blurted:

"Well at least Kotaro isn't a shrimpy little ape!"

"You take that back! At least Monta isn't a sissy kicker!" Shidao countered.

"Why you little!" Juri screeched and then leapt at her sister with a pillow in hand, striking her with the cotton filled bludgeon. As the pair of siblings tussled with fluffy weapons of minor destruction, Mamori tried to intervene and separate the sisters. Suzuna and Wakana both giggled at the scene but eventually the motherly Mamori separated the quarreling teens.

Even after being separated the younger Sawai sister was still fuming over the insult to her crush and pouted, "What's so great about Kotaro then that makes you want to be with him?"

The blue haired manager narrowed her eyes dangerously at her sister but couldn't resist when Suzuna chimed in, "Yeah Juri do dish! Is mister cool really the Casanova he makes himself out to be?"

Juri sighed, "Mr. Casanova huh? Nah, he just plays mister cool. He's really just a big goof. He always has been. I don't know, maybe it's because we've known each other since we were in grade school but there's just something about him. He's sweet but still really immature…" she paused, "but I'm trying to train him." She added with an evil grin.

All the girls giggled at that and Juri quickly changed the subject. "What about you Mamori, what's it like dating Satan himself?"

Mamori looked up, smirked and just replied, "Fraught with peril and full of embarrassment. But he is… it's hard to describe. Endearing? Well, probably protective is the better word. I guess I can't really describe why I love the jerk but he's really a good guy. Suzuna knows what I mean right?"

Suzuna gawked in surprise and thought about it for a moment. She played with one of her many braids and replied, "Yeah I guess I do. He always puts on a hard front but he is really a good guy at heart. I always did feel like he kept an eye out for us when there were some real bad guys around. Ugh… remember Agon?"

"Eww what a scumbag!" Juri agreed and the other girls nodded their heads as well. "All that aside how is the devil in bed huh? Bet he's a real beasty!"

"Juri!" Suzuna gasped in mock disapproval as Mamori turned beet red. The busty brunette began to stammer and stutter she was so embarrassed by the question.

"Hiruma and I have done no such thing! And it's never going to happen until I am married!" Mamori managed to say with finality.

The blue haired teen pouted, "Oh poo you're no fun!" and turned her attention to the hostess. "What about you 'Squirt' is your golden boy as fast in bed as he is on the field?" she asked teasingly.

Now it was Suzuna's turn to change a shade of hues as her cheeks flushed with vermillion colors.

"Well?"

Suzuna was stuck between a rock and a hard place here. She didn't want to appear inexperienced but she didn't want to make up false stories either. She took in a deep breath and decided it was best to just say it how it was. "Sena and I haven't had sex yet. You know how shy he is. I doubt it's even crossed his mind." The navy haired teen looked down even as she heard herself say it.

"He's a man honey, it's crossed his mind. All boys are the same." Juri remarked.

Suzuna looked up at the blue haired teen and averted her gaze again still burning red. "E..Even if you say that I still doubt Sena would be so bold as to try anything… he's too damn shy."

Wakana butted in, "Well maybe you should make the first move?"

"I couldn't do that! I don't want him to think I'm a slut or something." Suzuna retorted.

Mamori shocked everyone by commenting, "Suzuna, Sena would never think that! In fact I'm surprised you'd even think he would. You two have been together for what six months?"

"Yeah so?" Suzuna replied trying to see where Mamori was going with this.

"So~~~. I'm saying he loves you Suzuna, I doubt that if you made the first move you'd frighten him off. I think you mean the world to him and more, I don't think you making a move is going to upset him very much. In fact hold that thought." With that Mamori got up to go back to the bedroom where her bag was.

"What do you think that's about?" Suzuna asked.

"Who knows, but I have to agree with the all knowing 'virgin' over there. You guys are probably never going to do it unless you make the first move. I mean you want to do it right?" Juri asked.

Suzuna once again burnt bright red with embarrassment and stuttered, "W…well it… it's not like I wouldn't want to do that with Sena but… I." Juri cut her off with an up raised finger.

"Then you gotta go after him Suzuna. Use them goods!"

"Juri" her sister tried to stop her elder sibling.

"Shut up Shidao! I mean it Suzuna if you want to do this with him you're gonna have to make the first move. You said yourself how shy Sena is."

"Well yeah but… well maybe…" Suzuna murmured while cupping her chin with her hand.

"See atta girl go for it!" Juri cheered with an upraised fist.

Suzuna just let it go at that, and pondered the possibilities. It's not like she hadn't gotten the urge to go all the way with Sena before, it's just that it had always seemed too soon for her to actually go all of the way. Add to the fact that she and Sena had only ever just made out and had never gotten past that part, well perhaps other than a few "accidental" touches on Suzuna's part. She was just too afraid of pushing her shy partner away by being too forward. Suzuna knew she was ready for that next step, but would he be? She just didn't know.

Mamori caught her attention out of the corner of her eye and was indicating Suzuna should come over to the hallway. Suzuna broke away from the other girls who were now digging into Wakana about her love life and went over towards her friend. The nimble cheer captain rounded the corner and entered the hallway where Mamori handed her a small square box. In the dim light Suzuna couldn't make out what the box was at first but when Mamori said, "Here these are just in case you and Sena do… progress in your relationship at the beach," Suzuna realized what they were.

"Mamo-nee! You're giving me condoms?" The navy haired teen asked incredulously.

"I just want you two to be safe should you decide to… well you know." Mamori replied tip toeing around the sex word.

"Well yeah but… Mamo-nee… I mean what do you take me for?"

"I'm not trying to say anything by it. I'm just saying… you never know. I want you two to be safe. That's all."

Suzuna looked at the box and couldn't stay mad at her friend, she could only manage to say, "Well that's… thoughtful I guess. Thanks Mamo-nee."

"Well I guess I am being a little to motherly again aren't I?" Mamori said a little embarrassed.

"No it's alright Mamo-nee. I mean you never know right?" The cheer captain offered a genuine thankful smile to her friend and said, "Come on I think the girls are digging some dirt up on Wakana and a certain four eyed quarterback." And with that the pair of friends headed off towards the living room.


	21. The Beach

Disclaimer: Any original characters are property of myself and myself only. Eyeshield 21 is a series created by Riichigo Inagaki and Yusuke Murata. All characters of Eyeshield 21 are property of the original creators, Shonen Jump and Viz Media. Any references to the NFL and its players are copyrighted by the NFL and credited to their respective teams.

Sena glanced at his wristwatch as he paced about his kitchen munching on a piece of toast. He had hidden the "box" Dante had given him deep in the bowels of his duffel bag. Sena had packed enough clothes and beach wear for the three days he'd spend in paradise with his beloved. The lone duffel bag and backpack were sitting lazily by his door awaiting their oceanic voyage. His blue eyed lover was due over in a few minutes and he anxiously looked at his watch again.

The ace runner was wearing a pair of golden rod colored plaid board shorts and a yellow polo shirt. A pair of amber shaded sunglasses crested his forehead, resting on his bangs. While he did have sandals packed away for the beach, he was now wearing a pair of black tennis shoes as he finished off his toast.

The running back was just about to sit down at his kitchen table when he heard a honk from the street outside. Sena moved towards his kitchen window to see Suzuna sitting in a red convertible as beautiful as ever. Suzuna had mentioned to him that she would be renting a car for their trip with the Hiruma Hell Card but Sena had to admit he wasn't surprised with her choice of vehicle. It was a black mini cooper with two white racing stripes bisecting the hood. The cheer captain was grinning from ear to ear and honked the horn once more when she saw Sena gawking at her from the window.

She didn't have to tell him twice. With that the handsome athlete dashed to his bags and bolted out the door. He zipped his way over to the foreign vehicle and nodded his approval to the stunning beauty sitting in the driver's seat. And what a beauty she was, Suzuna was wearing a black band t-shirt and a pair of very short jean shorts. She too was wearing a pair of sunglasses, although hers were much darker and resting on the bridge of her nose ready for some sun. Sena tossed his bags into the back seat and jumped into the passenger's seat. He leaned in to give his lover a quick smooch and said, "Nice choice Suzuna-chan."

"I know isn't it awesome?" she squealed with excitement. "Ready to roll?"

"You bet!" the football star said as he slid his sunglasses down off his forehead and onto his eyes. "Let's roll baby." With that Suzuna let out a hoot and revved the engine. The pair of teens then peeled out down the street towards their destination of relaxation and bliss.

The wind blew through their hair as the duo cruised down the highway. Sena couldn't help but gaze at the woman he loved as her hand rested on the steering wheel. Her glorious navy blue locks had grown a few inches since they had started dating, and the now shoulder length hair blew majestically in the wind as the countryside blurred around them. Her lustrous blue orbs were hidden behind her dark sunglasses but her juicy pink lips still stuck out to Sena as clearly as the day he first kissed them. He was the luckiest man on the planet, he had an angel. He couldn't imagine anything more beautiful than her, well maybe perhaps other than her with fewer clothing.

Sena suddenly blushed and looked away to the scenery that was zooming past. He laughed sheepishly and mumbled to himself inaudibly, "Damn it Dante…"

The road winded on for a few hours before the two captains of Enma arrived at their destination. An old dirt road off the highway had led them to their secluded beach house, compliments of the Hiruma Hell Card. Suzuna parked the mini cooper in front of the small cabin-like building. The old beach house was in the middle of a private part of the beach off limits to tourists for the single purpose of being a couple's retreat.

Sena and Suzuna quickly got out of the car and stretched their clammy limbs. Sena moved to grab the bags out of the back seat and Suzuna happily skipped over to the beach house with the keys. Her boyfriend could only chuckle when he heard her squeals of excitement and approval as she entered the building.

As he approached the lodge he was struck by how small it looked. The seaside retreat was coated with smooth tiles of varying sizes and colors on its exterior giving it an exotic mosaic look. The roof was made of aqua blue painted tin or some other similar metal. Sena entered through the open door with the bags to find his beloved dashing through the different rooms on the first floor.

When the navy haired teen noticed her love she shouted with joy, "Oh Sena this place is amazing! Quick, quick come check it out!"

The running back only smiled as his girlfriend took his hand and led him throughout the lodge. The kitchen was immaculate. The counters were all a chalky colored granite with a giant window overlooking the forest behind the beach while their mini cooper stood guard. A large fridge and dishwasher sat beside each other on the left side of the kitchen across from the large window. And in the middle of it all was an island with a few tall bar stools made of the same granite as the counters. Sea shells and other nautical themed decorations seemed to cover the walls in every direction.

From there the cheer captain led him to the main foyer in the building. It opened into a large open area that connected the first and second floors. Rich dark hardwood flooring spread out in an expanse over the large den like area. Two large luxurious leather sofas and a recliner sat around a wicker table. The two sofas both had a large white fur blanket laid across the tops of them and the wicker table was covered with candles of varying sizes and a basket of fresh fruit. And of course there was an enormous flat screen television hanging on the stone wall as well. But it wasn't the interior that made this room the best in the house, it was the view.

Directly across from the doorway leading into the foyer from the kitchen was what looked like a wall made out of glass. Three enormous panes of curves glass shot from the floor to the arced ceiling of the second story of the beach side lodge. This expanse gave the pair of lovers one of the most scenic views either one of them had ever seen, easily rivaling the view they had seen at the shrine in Nagano. The white sandy beach was not more than fifty feet away and the crystal blue waters of the Pacific Ocean were crashing lazily into the shore line. Gulls and other sea birds fluttered about searching for tasty morsels at the foaming borderline between the land and the sea.

For a moment the two teens stood there gazing at the ocean, soaking in its awe inspiring beauty. Hand in hand they both sighed and Suzuna nuzzled in close to her boyfriend's chest. "Amazing isn't it?"

"Beautiful," he agreed. The young brunette then turned towards his blue haired lover and gave her a passionate kiss. After a few breathless moments he separated from her and said, "Having you here with me makes it all the better."

Suzuna's cheeks turned a shade of pink at the complement. She placed a pale hand on his cheek and leaned in and kissed him. When she finally drew back she added, "I wouldn't have it any other way stud." And with that she pulled away from the football star and chimed, "Come one let's check out the rest of the place!"

Sena eagerly followed the lithe cheer captain up the stairs in the large two story room. However, in following his girlfriend so closely from behind, Sena got quite the view of her very short jean shorts and the tight buttocks that filled them. The running back nearly had a nosebleed from the sight but somehow managed to suppress it.

Somehow, Sena managed to compose himself as he entered the bedroom right behind Suzuna. The large master bedroom had an elaborate king sized bed made of ornately carved oak wood. The four pillars on the bed climbed to the ceiling, each one of them an elaborate carving. One was a seahorse, another was a swordfish, a third was an octopus, and the final one was a sea otter. Sena found himself tracing the carved wooden pillars with his hands saying, "Wow…"

"Oh my god Sena you have to see this." came an angelic voice, once again two steps ahead of him.

Sena followed the voice and eyed the remaining elaborate oaken furniture, a bureau, a dresser, and a nightstand too. The angelic voice called out again and Sena stopped gawking at the interior and went out on the veranda. Sena walked out through the sliding glass door and onto the rich hardwood porch and noted a pair of lounging wicker chairs and a matching wicker table to his right. In front of him Suzuna was standing before a large semicircle shaped swimming pool that was laced with a concrete deck. And beyond her was the uninhibited vista of the ocean and the surrounding beach and forest. As the sun was dipping lower into the sky he could see the silhouette of his angel standing at the railing on the cement deck. He ran over to join her and wrapped his arm around her as she gazed out into the horizon.

"Sena, isn't this amazing?" she mouthed breathlessly.

The teen standing beside her couldn't even utter a sentence, so taken was he by the view. He pulled his lover in close to his side and squeezed her tightly. Suzuna returned his embrace with a hand around his lower back. He breathed in deeply and exhaled with a dreamy sigh. "Yeah, it really is." Suzuna leaned her head onto her beloved shoulder and sighed deeply as well.

* * *

Some hours later after unpacking their things, Sena and Suzuna had found their way down to the beach. The sun had dipped very low into the horizon now, and the sky bled hues of orange and red. The brunette and navy haired teenagers strode hand in hand along the foaming white edges of the sea, leaving their tracks dissipating behind them with every wave. Neither youth said a word as they gazed into the multicolored sunset. They let this moment ingrain in their memories forever, neither one of them saying anything, just enjoying the moment for what it was.

The pair turned and stopped at a dry patch of sand and took a seat before the waves. Suzuna leaned backwards onto her hands and Sena sat beside her leaning forwards onto his knees. The cheer captain shifter her gaze from the gorgeous twilight sky and looked to her beloved. His wild brunette hair wafted lazily about in the cool summer breeze. The silhouette of his strong shoulders invaded her mind and she found herself reaching out to him taking his arm in her hand. She pulled him towards her and embraced him as she lay on the sand. The somewhat surprised running back began to stutter something nervously but she silenced him by pressing her lips into his, sucking out his breath and his resistance as well. They lay on top of one another kissing each other passionately. Suzuna ran her hands beneath Sena's shirt and over the expanse of his muscular and toned back. Sena braced himself above her body and before he realized it he was straddling the cheer captain as their tongues and lips danced together.

When their passionate exchange parted Suzuna was gasping dreamily for breath and Sena panted weakly. Suzuna stared up into his deep brown eyes and Sena lost himself in her dreamy blue orbs. . He was so perfect in every facet of her imagination. She was positive this was the man she would spend the rest of her life with. She knew then that she was ready to make love to this man. Suzuna looked deeply into his eyes and sighed lustily, "Take me."

Sena's face erupted in shades or red. He began to stutter and stammer like a petrified child and rolled away from her still stammering. "Su…Suzuna I…I…I…"

The cheer captain sat up suddenly afraid, "What is it? Is..is it me?"

"No! No! No…nothing like that… y.. you're so… beautiful I… I… I. It's not that I don't want to, it's ju….just. I don't want to dis..disappoint you…" The blustering and burning bright running back stammered. "I've never done this before I d…don't want to mess up."

Suzuna uttered reassuringly, "Sena, I've never done this kind of thing before either… b…but I wouldn't dream of it any other way or with any other person. Sena, I love you."

"I…I love you too Suzuna." Sena replied nervously.

"So please… take me… I want this. I want to do this with you… for you." She pleaded pulling at his arm.

Sena could only mumble a muffled, "Suzu…" before he leaned back into her embrace and found his lips meeting again with hers in a passionate kiss. Once again Suzuna let her hands glide up and down his strong back and, again Sena was drawn in by her actions. The running back managed to pull away once again and stammer, "Wa..wait Suzuna. I…" the running back became even more red than he had been before, if that could even have been possible, and then said, "I'm not… prepared…"

Suzuna giggled and reached into her jean shorts pocket and pulled out a small square wrapped object. "You mean one of these?" she teased.

Sena's face went blank and he nodded haphazardly as a small stream of blood began to drip from his nose. Before the running back could argue any more Suzuna pushed him to the side and climbed on top of the now sweating running back. She leaned into him and kissed him again as her hips straddled his. Something in Sena must have clicked because he returned her kiss heartily and began to run his hands from her back down to her buttocks as they made out passionately. Suzuna sat up still astride her hunky heartthrob and removed her t-shirt to reveal a lacey blue bra. Sena's eyes nearly bulged out of his skull and his face glowed even hotter to the point it was nearly radioactive.

And so it was there on their private stretch of beach away from everyone else that Sena and Suzuna finally and truly became one. Beneath the vermillion blazing sky the two teens made love on the sandy dunes to the sounds of the ocean. Neither one of them would have had it any other way.


	22. Collision at Sea

Disclaimer: Any original characters are property of myself and myself only. Eyeshield 21 is a series created by Riichigo Inagaki and Yusuke Murata. All characters of Eyeshield 21 are property of the original creators, Shonen Jump and Viz Media. Any references to the NFL and its players are copyrighted by the NFL and credited to their respective teams.

Sena awoke the next morning in the grand oaken bed with the ornate carvings. He lazily rubbed his eyes and let out a loud yawn as he stretched. A soft moan emanated from somewhere beside him and he turned to see Suzuna sleeping soundly beside him. The running back smiled sleepily and turned to roll out of bed, but then he realized what he had just seen. The brunette running back did a double take so fast he nearly snapped his neck. The surprised running back tumbled backwards out of the bed and fell butt first onto the hardwood floor. He quickly scooted to the wall, flailing wildly as he did.

Thought came rushing forth in his mind. "_Who, what, when… did I…?" _Sena blushed slightly when he looked down finally realizing he was naked. "_It wasn't just a dream. I… I really did sleep with Suzuna last night!" _Then the memories of the prior night came back in full to the suddenly wide awake running back. _"And not just once either!" _The wide eyed athlete brought a hand to his mouth to cover his ever growing smile as the realization sank in.

Then he was up in a flash quickly donning a pair of boxers as he quietly hopped around the room in excitement as to not wake his love. He managed to grab a pair of brown cargo shorts before silently slipping out the bedroom door. The nimble running back then stealthily made his way down the stairs, through the foyer and into the kitchen. There he went to the fridge that he had stocked the day before with some breakfast items he had acquired just for this occasion.

The wild haired brunette pulled out a carton of eggs and a package of bacon and placed them onto the chalky white granite counter. He grabbed a pair of skillets that were hanging above the island in the center of the kitchen. Sena placed the cooking pans onto the stove and turned the burners on. As they heated up the former Deimon star got out some butter and bread and placed them aside for later. He grabbed a pair of eggs from the carton and cracked them into one of the frying pans and the delicious ooze immediately began to sizzle. The running back turned the heat down on the eggs and took several slices of bacon and began frying them in the second pan. While he let those simmer, the surprisingly culinary adept teen popped four slices of bread into the industrial looking toaster that sat on the counter top.

Satisfied with that the shirtless football player turned his attention back to the simmering pork and poultry products. He carefully monitored the food to be sure that it did not burn. After all, this was the first time he had cooked anything for Suzuna and he wanted it to be perfect. Sena was just about to turn the bacon and nearly jumped out of his shorts when a pair of pale and delicate arms wrapped up around him from behind.

He let out an embarrassed breath of relief when he heard his beloved say, "Smells good…" Suzuna nuzzled into Sena's neck and kissed him gently, all the while caressing his muscular chest with her fingers. "I didn't know you could cook." She said pleasantly surprised.

Sena laughed sheepishly while turning the bacon. "Yeah, but I wanted to surprise you with breakfast in bed." He said with some disappointment.

Suzuna giggled and rested her chin on his shoulder, still hugging him from behind and said, "Sorry, it just smelled so good." She gave him a quick peck on the cheek in apology. "But thank you anyway."

"It's almost done, just one more thing." Sena said pulling away from Suzuna's embrace. He reached past the stove into a cupboard and pulled out two plates and when he turned to place them on the island he nearly dropped them. Suzuna was wearing one of his t-shirts, and _only _that. The navy haired teen giggled when she saw her boyfriend turn red at her choice of night gown.

She took the plates from the eye wondering boy and teased, "Oh come on now Sena I was wearing even _less_ last night." And she added a seductive wink as she turned to set up the island for the meal, purposely bending over as she set the plates. Sena's white t-shirt hung loosely to the cheerleader's lithe frame but it still gave him a good peak. Sena erupted like a solar flare and a stream of blood burst from his nose for a moment. He quickly busied himself with buttering toast and his girlfriend giggled at him once again.

Suzuna finished setting the oval shaped island counter and took a seat, crossing her legs to preserve some self respect and to save her boyfriend from any more embarrassment as well. After making some final adjustments to each plate Sena brought over the food. He placed Suzuna's helping in front of her and the girl marveled at the fried egg and aromatic pieces of bacon. Sena poured each of them a glass of orange juice and sat beside his lover.

"I hope you like it." Sena smiled as he picked up his fork and stabbed his egg.

Suzuna scooted her seat in and dug into her own breakfast. She eagerly took a bite out of her egg and let out a delicious moan of pleasure. The bacon was even better and the lithe cheerleader quickly downed the salted pork. "Sena this is delicious! Where did you learn to cook?" the navy haired teen asked with amazement.

Sena looked up from his meal and rubbed the back of his head shyly before responding sheepishly, "Haha… well, some of my teammates in America taught me how, mostly Dante though. But I'm afraid I can only make American style food… and I'm still not that good."

"Are you kidding me this is great! You should make us breakfast more often!" Suzuna cheered.

Sena blushed a little at the unexpected compliment and again rubbed the back of his head while laughing nervously. Suzuna leaned in and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "Thanks baby, it was delicious." she said affectionately.

The wild haired brunette stuttered, "Y..your welcome Suzuna-chan." Sena then rose and took her plate and placed the dishes into the sink. He was about to start washing them when a soft finger began to trace lines on his back.

"How about some _dessert _stud?" Suzuna purred seductively. Sena sputtered in surprise and turned to face her. She silenced him with a passionate kiss and began pulling the grinning runner back to the bedroom.

* * *

After the pair of teens had gotten a not so quick shower after their _dessert_, they got dressed for a day out to the beach. Sena wore a pair of white board shorts covered with dark green and light gray palm tree silhouettes, and a buttoned down Hawaiian shirt that was made up of green palm leaves and a black background. Atop his head once again sat his amber colored sunglasses as well. He was waiting patiently by the mini cooper for his girlfriend and was enjoying the view of the beach behind him. The sound of the beach house door opening and closing brought Sena's attention to the girl that meant everything to him.

She was wearing a strapless red and white striped bikini top that tied into a bow on the front. This in turn pressed her pale breasts together creating a visual valley that made Sena turn more than one shade redder than the stripes on her bikini top. Suzuna was also wearing another pair of short cut jean shorts with her bikini bottoms underneath.

The navy haired cheer captain bounded over to the convertible carrying their beach bag which was packed with all the necessities they would need. She tossed the bag into the back seat and plopped into the passenger's seat. Sena hopped behind the wheel and started the car. With that the pair of teens took off for the public beach.

When they arrived at the beach the lovers were assaulted by the sounds of sea birds and the cacophony of the crowded area. As far as one could see there were numerous little shops and food stands all along the beach side. A seemingly endless path of wooden planks created a boardwalk that went on for miles. Tourists from every part of Japan hustled about on the boardwalk laughing and enjoying their escape from reality.

Suzuna and Sena were no exception. The pair of newly _unified_ lovers walked leisurely down the boardwalk hand in hand. Sena had effortlessly slung the beach bag over one shoulder and smiled happily as he strolled along with his fingers interlaced with Suzuna's. She returned his smile warmly and leaned her head on his shoulder as they meandered down the walkway.

Both of Enma's respected captains spent most of their day shopping about on the boardwalk and enjoying the ocean. They had rented a pair of boogie boards and enjoyed playing in the surf for a few hours. Sena couldn't help but get slightly annoyed at some ogling onlookers who seemed mesmerized by Suzuna's more mature assets. But if Sena was slightly annoyed Suzuna was overjoyed that many different girls on the beach were ogling her man. Actually it pissed her off too, but the part she enjoyed most was locking arms with Sena and making it obvious she was his woman. She had even turned and stuck her tongue out at one particularly beautiful woman who had been ogling the ripped and toned running back all day. The insulted woman had then turned and left in a huff with an enclave of pseudo-suitors in her wake. Inside, Suzuna smiled deviously at the fact that this studly prize was hers and hers alone.

The young pair had even joined in a game of beach volley ball with a group of other tourist their age. Little did their opponents know however that Sena was the all star Eyeshield 21 from Enma University. And while he wasn't the best volley ball player by any means his pure athleticism more than made up for his faults. And Suzuna was no slouch either, easily holding her own and more during the game, working perfectly side by side with her boyfriend. Along with the rest of their teammates the teens easily demolished their opponents one by one until fascinated onlookers began to chant for the mystery duo from Enma. By the time they realized they were the ones being applauded Sena and Suzuna's team had already defeated six other teams. What came as even more of a surprise was that their team had won a prize too! A darkly tanned man approached and congratulated them and awarded their team with passes to rent a scooter for the rest of the day. The navy haired girl squealed with joy at the unexpected surprise and Sena laughed at his girlfriend's enthusiasm.

"Come one Sena lets go get our scooter!" Suzuna squeaked happily, and like it or not Sena was dragged by his wrist to the shop where scooters were being rented out.

A round tan man sat behind the window of the small shack like building. He had a bushy mustache and squinty little eyes. When Suzuna bounded up to the window he looked away from the magazine sitting in front of him and greeted her with a thin warm smile. "Hello there young lady, what can I do for you and friend today?"

"We won a free scooter rental and were told to come here." She replied sliding the ticket towards the old man.

He took the ticket with his thick chubby fingers and brought it very close to his squinted eyes. The man turned the ticket this way and that and sat it back down on the counter. He offered another thin smile and said "Alrighty then, everything looks good here." The fat man grunted as he rose to his feet and shuffled to the side of his shack. He returned shortly with a key attached to a round yellow tag with the number 21 on it. He also pulled out two helmets from under the counter and presented them to the youthful beauty. "Here you go little lady, son. Just hang a right and pick out the scooter with the matching number on the keychain. Have fun and be careful out there. I'll see you in a few hours." And with that the fat little man sat back down in his chair and picked up his magazine.

Both Suzuna and Sena politely thanked the man and made their way into the lot. They quickly found their designated scooter. It was the same color as a ripe banana and had a single headlight and a long two person seat. Suzuna brought her hands together and squirmed with joy before saying, "Eeee! This is so cool, I've always wanted to drive one of these!"

"Haha, well hope on let's try it out. I don't mind waiting my turn." Sena smiled.

Suzuna gave Sena a quick look of feigned guilt as if to check if he was really ok with letting her get the first turn on the scooter. He just smiled and nodded his head towards the moped and she squealed again and hopped on. She put on her helmet as she straddled the two wheeled vehicle and Sena put his own helmet on before sitting down behind her. Suzuna inserted the key into the ignition and started the bipedal vehicle which responded with a high pitch hum. She eagerly revved the engine and peeled out of the lot and turned down the roadway.

"Waahooooo!" she shouted as they tore down the road adjacent to the boardwalk. Shops and tourists whizzed around them as they flew down the way. The smell of the sea filled their nostrils and the high pitched hum of the scooter's engine assaulted their ears. Sena hung on tightly to Suzuna as the daring cheer captain took some dangerous turns and curves a little too willingly. Sena thought that they might wipe out at one particularly sharp curve but somehow they managed to pull out of it alright. A sweet smell found its way into Sena's senses and it calmed him. It was the smell of Suzuna's shampoo. Her navy locks blew freely out from under her helmet tickling at Sena's nose. Sena flinched and had to close his eyes as the daredevil cheerleader took another sharp curve at top speed, and he tried to focus on her scent and shut out the outside world. He heard her attempt to call his name and looked up.

"What?" he hollered.

"Look at that!" Suzuna shouted removing her hand from the handle long enough to point to her right.

Sena turned in the direction she was pointing and saw a string of islands in the bay that the road overlooked. The islands all were maybe a mile or so across but they all rose in sheer cliffs hundreds of yards into the sky. The rocky land masses were capped with the vibrant greenery of vegetation and seabirds could be seen soaring around the rock walls. The waves crashed into the rock faces and exploded into expanses of white froth.

"Isn't that amazing?" the girls shouted as they once again began to descend into an area full of shops and houses.

"Yeah! Really cool!" he agreed.

They continued to cruise around for another hour or so and Sena even got to drive for a little while before the pair decided it was about time to head back to the rental shop. Sena let Suzuna drive on the return trip, seeing as how much the blue haired teen had enjoyed driving it the first time around.

They had somehow ended up in a small fishing village near the beach and were driving along the dockside beside the forms of many anchored boats. Many of the houses beside the docks were rather shoddy looking and in disrepair. They almost seemed lonely and forgotten beside the dock as if waiting for days of glory long lost to return. Suzuna turned the accelerator up a notch and took off down the dismal avenue leaving the broken down building behind.

As they took another hard curve at an accelerated pace they were both screamed in fear. A large man was just stepping into the street in front of them and there was no way to avoid a collision. Suzuna and Sena both screamed "Look out!"

The goliath of a man turned and grunted in shock and surprise. His mouth opened and he shouted something neither of them could understand. The mammoth braced himself for impact and put his monstrous hands out in front of him. The front of the scooter collided with the man's hands and a horrible crunching noise echoed from the impact. The three of them screamed with fright as Sena and Suzuna both were tossed from the scooter over the handle bars and past the man's head. Sena somehow managed to grab onto Suzuna and turn in mid air so that he would absorb all of the impact when they landed. The running back crashed hard into the asphalt and the air was knocked from his lungs as he skidded across the road. When his momentum stopped, only then did he let go of Suzuna and sprawl out painfully on the road. Hot pain spread through his back and his vision became hazy. He heard Suzuna screaming his name in the distance.


	23. The Colossus

Disclaimer: Any original characters are property of myself and myself only. Eyeshield 21 is a series created by Riichigo Inagaki and Yusuke Murata. All characters of Eyeshield 21 are property of the original creators, Shonen Jump and Viz Media. Any references to the NFL and its players are copyrighted by the NFL and credited to their respective teams.

"SENA! SENA! Oh God! Sena speak to me!" Suzuna screamed as she clutched at her lover's shirt. She brought her hand to his face and tears began to erupt in her eyes as frustration and fear overwhelmed the navy haired teen. "Come on Sena stay with me!" she sobbed.

The running back just lay very still on his back gasping for air, his eyes were faded and glazed. He could hear someone's voice in the distance but couldn't make out who it was. The voice sounded faintly familiar and Sena grew frightened when he couldn't recognize where he was. His vision was all a blur, his hearing was deafened, his head was spinning, and he couldn't breathe. His consciousness was fading fast.

Suzuna was crying tersely now having feared she had lost the man of her life. She began to shake Sena by his shirt and shouted his name again, "SENA! Please! Please! Please come back to me!" Tears poured from her eyes when he didn't respond to her and she put her head into his chest and began to sob uncontrollably.

"Are you guys ok?" came a concerned deep voice from behind her. She turned to see the lumbering giant hurrying over to them. He bent low beside them and placed a mammoth hand onto the ground. For a moment Suzuna was shocked by how large the man was, he had to be nearly seven feet tall and several hundred pounds but he wasn't fat at all. His hand was easily eight inches wide and long solid fingers extended out from the massive palm.

She managed to choke down her surprise and sob, "I don't know he's n..not an..answering m..me! Pl..please help m…me!"

The giant's face became stern and he said calmly, "Do not move him I will be right back, my mother was a nurse once." When she tensed up at the knowledge that she would be left alone with her potentially crippled lover she began to break down and freak out even more. The colossus laid a massive palm across her entire upper back and looked sternly at her and said calmly, "Don't worry I will be right back, be strong. Make sure he stays still, don't let him move." Suzuna managed to nod weakly in response to the powerfully calm young man. And with that the giant of a man rose and ran back into the dilapidated shanty behind them and could be heard shouting for his mother.

Within a few seconds the gigantic man returned with a small older woman and an old man who also was very large but nowhere near as big as the first. The woman quickly hurried over. She was probably in her fifties and had light gray hair. Her face was covered in small wrinkles and she had soft and loving eyes. She also was obviously a foreigner as well. "Step back dear and let me have a look at him."

Suzuna resisted leaving her beloved but the elderly man placed a firm strong hand on her shoulder and gave her a nod, "Please step back miss, my wife will make sure he is ok. Are you hurt?" He had the face of a weathered man of the sea. Many creases and wrinkles adorned his face with age and he had the knobby old hands of a true sailor. He had dark grey hair on top and stark white streaks had begun growing in on the sides.

Suzuna wiped the tears from her eyes and sniffed harshly while gasping for breath. "N..no I..I'm ok Sena s..saved m…me. Please help h…him!" she sobbed.

"We'll do what we can miss, how about you sit down and try and calm down. Suitokku, go get her something to blow her nose!"

The hulking form of the man they crashed into responded quickly, "Yes Da!" and he took off into the house.

The old seaman turned to his wife and squatted down beside her. "How is he?"

The small woman removed her hand from Sena's wrist and felt his forehead gently. "His pulse is ok but it seems like the wind's been knocked out of him. Judging from his pupils and lack of response I'd say he might have concussion at least, but nothing appears to be broken. He's incredibly lucky he was wearing a helmet or it could have been a lot worse." She reached into her first aid kit and pulled out a small rectangular packet of smelling salt and waved it gently under the unconscious running back's nose. He moaned in discomfort at the smell and slowly opened his eyes. He looked hazily at the pair of elderly people above him and he asked in barely a whisper, "W…what happened…?"

"You were in an accident young man, can you tell me your name?" the gray haired woman asked.

Sena furrowed his brow in confusion, "An… accident… my… name?"

"Yes son can you tell us your name?" the old man asked as well.

"Sena…Sena Kobaya…." Sena's eyes burst open in fear and realization, "Where's Suzuna? Is she ok?" he tried to sit up abruptly but the elderly man pressed him firmly into the ground.

"Don't move! We don't know the extent of your injuries yet." He scolded.

Sena tried to fight back against the press but found he had not strength, and that the old man was frighteningly strong as well. The terrified running back asked again frightfully, "Where is she? Is she ok?"

The elderly woman bent low and calmly told him, "She's ok, you're friend isn't hurt. You did a good job protecting her young man." She turned easily and motioned for Suzuna to come over to them.

Sena's tension eased as he saw Suzuna walk over to him unharmed. "Oh thank god…" he breathed in relief as tears welled in his eyes. She fell to her knees beside him and placed a hand on his face while still sobbing. She leaned into his forehead slowly and nuzzled him with tears streaking down her face.

"I thought I lost you." She whimpered.

"I'm just glad you're safe." Sena whispered into her ear as he hugged her weakly.

Just then the giant youth they had collided with returned with a clean handkerchief and handed it to Suzuna. The goliath looked towards his mother and asked, "Is he ok Ma?"

She looked to her son and nodded solemnly. The old man glanced at his wife and gave her a knowing nod. She nodded back at the weathered old sailor and moved towards the young couple. "Please allow us to invite you inside so that I can take a better look at you young man, and so that you can rest."

Suzuna had just finished blowing her nose into the handkerchief when the elderly woman had asked them to come inside. She wiped some more tears from her eyes and nodded weakly not able to really bring anything to words. Sena was still lying on his back and attempted to lean forward saying, "I think I'm ok..." but only slumped awkwardly to his elbow in a dizzy haze.

"Sena!" Suzuna gasped as she leaned in to support her boyfriend.

The old man grunted, "That settles it, you're not going anywhere until we're sure you're ok lad." He then turned to his attention to his son and barked, "Suitokku help me take him to the house."

"Yes Da." The soft spoken giant replied as he walked over to Sena. The monster of a man brought his arm underneath Sena's and easily hoisted the small running back to his feet. "Do you think you can walk with my help or should I carry you?" the colossal youth asked.

"I think I can manage…" Sena replied meekly.

And so the large young man helped Sena into the small seaside home with Suzuna and his parents tow. He brought Sena to a round wooden table and sat him on the cushion and leaned him gently against the wall. Suzuna quickly came and sat near her lover and the elderly woman came over as well to continue her check up of the bruised brunette.

As they talked to Sena to verify his condition and make sure as to whether or not he had a concussion, Suitokku's father pulled him aside into another room. "What happened out there son?"

Suitokku looked at his father with a stern face. He had a huge squared jaw with a strong chin and large cheek bones. His eyes were large and had dark lower eyelids that made it appear like he was wearing makeup of some kind, but it was only natural coloring. His hair was buzzed short on the sides and back and was black in color, but the top of his head had wild platinum blonde hair spiking out in every direction. He took a deep breath and said, "I was just going out to dump some fish scraps into the bay when they came speeding around the corner. I didn't have time to move so I caught their scooter and tried to stop it. But they went flying over my head. I think I took most of the force out of their crash though…"

"So you lessened the impact?" his father asked incredulously.

"I think so." He said calmly.

"Son, you may have just saved their lives. You did a good job." the old sailor replied. He wasn't entirely surprised that his mammoth of a son had stopped the small scooter but what did amaze him was that he somehow thought he had lessened their impact simply by grabbing the vehicle out of the air.

"I hope they're really alright…" the giant said passively but with earnest concern.

"Don't worry, you're mother will make sure of that. Let's try and round them something up to drink." He said patting his son on the shoulder to comfort him.

When the pair of titans returned to the main room of the small shanty Sena was following the old woman's finger back and forth with his eyes. Suitokku was carrying a few glasses of water, two in each hand and he placed them onto the low round table. "How is he Ma?"

The gray haired woman didn't look away from her patient and replied calmly, "He seems to be alright, any concussion he may have received doesn't seem as bad as I thought it might be. I think his helmet really did save him any serious injury. But I think it would be a good idea if you two stayed here tonight just in case." She finished up her check up and moved away from Sena who was leaning forward wearily with his lower back resting against the wall as he sat cross legged on the cushion.

"Thank you for everything." Suzuna said to the kind hearted elderly woman. "My name is Suzuna Taki and this is my boyfriend Sena Kobayakawa."

"Oh yes how rude of me I never introduced myself, but I guess I was more worried about Sena then my manners." The old woman chuckled absent mindedly. "My name is Catherine Tomo, this is my husband Chuukoumi, and our son Suitokku." The two men bowed at the teens for their own introduction.

Suitokku and his father sat at the round table on the opposite side of the young couple and Chuukoumi asked, "So where are you two from?"

Suzuna spoke up because she was worried for Sena and wanted him to rest more than anything else right now. "We actually are students from Enma University close to Tokyo."

"College kids huh? You hear that Suitokku?" he asked his son somewhat harshly.

"Not now Da…" his son grumbled in annoyance.

"Not now what Suitokku? You know very well how your mother and I feel about your education!" Chuukoumi retorted tersely.

"Look Da we've been through this a thousand times, even if I were to go to a school you know yourself we couldn't afford it." Suitokku said sternly opening his palms and resting his log-like forearms onto the table."

Suzuna didn't know what to say as the giant youth and his father bickered back and forth intermittently about college and then she noticed Suitokku's hands. Once again the sheer size of his hands shocked her but was surprised her even more was that they were unmarked.

"Excuse me, Suitokku-san. I don't mean to interrupt but, how did your hands not get broken when you stopped our scooter?"

Suitokku looked at the girl with wide eyes and then glanced down to his hands. "I hadn't thought about it."

"But I remember hearing a horrible crunch when we crashed into you, are you really ok?" she asked with concern.

Sena added, "Yeah I heard it too."

The mammoth youth simply said, "To be honest I think I broke your scooter more than it broke me. When I caught it I felt it bend under the pressure. I tried to stop it without launching you guys into the air but I didn't have time to steady myself."

Sena's brow narrowed skeptically, the wheels in his head beginning to roll. Suzuna just stared back at the youth in amazement and said, "You mean you think you could have stopped us if you had more time to react?"

The behemoth only shrugged and maintained his stoic expression. There was an awkward pause at the round table as the group absorbed the implications of the boy's frightening strength. Sena particularly looked like he had something on his mind about the situation.

After a few moments Suitokku's father again interceded, "So is _Enma_ a big school?"

"Oh Da!" Suitokku moaned deeply, "Why can't you accept the fact that if we could afford to send me to college I would go, but we just can't we have barely enough to even live here. And besides if I were to leave who would help you on the boat?"

"One of your older brothers would help on the boat that's who! They're way past the age where they could go to college and get a better life! Besides I'm not a useless old man yet, I'll work that boat till I'm dead! " Chuukoumi argued.

" Dear!" Catherine gasped. Even Suitokku didn't have a rebuttal for his father's harsh words, but a woozy brunette in the corner did.

"I might have a solution to that…" Sena managed to choke out in the middle of the verbal stalemate.

All three members of the Tomo family looked at the running back in complete confusion. Sena sank back from their incredulous stares and began to stammer. "Y…you see I may not look it but I am actually the captain of Enma's American Football team."

Chuukoumi and Suitokku both mouthed the name of the sport as if trying to recollect what it was. But it was Catherine who remembered the odd sport first, "You mean that game with the oval shaped ball that's kind of like rugby?"

Sena nodded and said, "Well sort of yes, but anyway the point is Enma University gives out two sports scholarships a year to any of the sports teams. This scholarship would pay for any tuition, classes, and housing for the student if they get accepted."

Chuukoumi's eyes lit up and Suitokku too seemed to have had his interest peaked. Sena continued on to say, "Anyway long story short if you would be willing to try out, the football team is in need of a position I think Suitokku-san would be perfect for."

Suitokku stared at Sena in disbelief but his visage dropped and he said, "But I haven't ever played this… football. I don't even know what it is."

Sena paused at this for a moment and everyone stared at the running back expectantly. But to their disappointment he dropped his head and said, "O..oh y…yeah…" Chuukoumi and Catherine both lowered their heads, crushed that the possibility that their son would get an education was lost before it was born.

However Suzuna chimed in almost instantaneously, "Hold on a second Sena, it doesn't matter if he knows the rules or not. All he needs to do to pass the althletic scholarship is pass a skill test and show a basic grasp of the rules. Try outs aren't for another 5 days, I'm sure Kuritan could give him some pointers and he could be tested during the try outs then." She paused bashfully when she realized everyone was staring at her in amazement, "I mean assuming Suitokku-san would be willing to even do that."

All eyes fell onto the colossal youth and he looked to his parents and to the strangers he had inadvertently collided with only a few moments earlier. He took in a deep breath and sighed, "I appreciate the offer Sena but… I just can't leave my parents behind alone here to manage the boat by themselves. And I doubt I have the skills necessary to chase a ball around a field either. I'm sorry…"

Chouukoumi Tomo erupted with rage, "The hell you will! You are going to take this opportunity to further your education young man! Don't you dare give up before even trying! I have taught you better than that you unappreciative brat!"

Catherine again gasped, "Dear!"

Chuukoumi's fist was shaking above the round table and he managed to compose himself and simply said dryly, "Doesn't matter what happens to us son, what's important is you can still make something out of your life. You still have time. We'll manage somehow, we always do. So please do this, it might be your only shot at a real life."

Suitokku looked at his father in disbelief and then stared at the strange brunette who had fallen into his life that very evening. Who would have though such an unhappy coincidence would open a window for him to better himself? He glanced back and forth between his parents and the pair of teens he had saved and after a moment's pause said, "You said this Kuritan co…could teach me?"

Choukoumi grinned and let out a hearty laugh slapping his giant son on the back and Catherine began to cry tears of joy. Suzuna smiled and looked to Sena and tossed him a wink. Sena gave her a nod in reply as if to say "_What would I do without you."_


	24. Giant Opportunity

Disclaimer: Any original characters are property of myself and myself only. Eyeshield 21 is a series created by Riichigo Inagaki and Yusuke Murata. All characters of Eyeshield 21 are property of the original creators, Shonen Jump and Viz Media. Any references to the NFL and its players are copyrighted by the NFL and credited to their respective teams.

Sena and Suzuna ended up staying the night at the Tomo household. They slept in the room of one of Suitokku's brothers since the siblings were away fishing at sea. Suzuna however, had continued to wake up because of nightmares, each one reliving the horrible accident, making her think she had lost her love. However, each time she awoke in fear she found herself beside him as he dozed heavily. Seeing him there snoring lightly comforted her and the navy haired teen finally managed to get some sleep.

In the morning Suitokku's mother gave Sena the once over one more time to assure the running back was safe to leave. With mother Tomo's approval the pair of lovers and their new friend exited the seaside shanty to inspect the damage to the scooter. Suitokku had tried to take a look at the broken vehicle the night before but it was too dark to properly ascertain the damage. When the trio of teens rounded the corner of the shanty to where the gentle giant had placed the damaged moped Sena and Suzuna's eyes popped wide open in shock.

The front of the bipedal automobile had been caved in substantially almost bending in a seventy degree angle. The front headlight had cracked to pieces and the paint job was scratched and scuffed all over. The poor scooter that had once looked like a ripe banana now looked like a rotten and ugly brown scuffed mess.

"Oh m…m…man… how are we g... going to explain t… this to the man at the rental station?" Sena stuttered in exasperation.

"This thing's totaled! I hope that prize came with insurance." Suzuna replied with doubt.

Suitokku was bending very low looking at the bumper inquisitively and he grumbled incoherently and smacked his face, emphasizing his point by dragging his palm downwards. "Oh-n… this is one of Uncle Wabisuke's scooters…"

Suzuna and Sena looked to the giant in surprise and disbelief while screeching, "This is your uncle's scooter?"

The gentle giant just grumbled again and nodded passively, now rubbing his eyes with his thumb and index finger. He slowly rose to his feet and sighed. "Damn… well this is my fault so I might as well return it and explain what happened."

"How are you going to do that? Your parents said you guys didn't have a car." Suzuna asked curiously and with some concern.

Suitokku crossed his solid brick-like arms across his barrel chest and grumbled, "And my brothers are out to sea with the boat for the next 2 weeks…" He sighed deeply in regret and unfolded his arms. He placed his massive hands onto his hips and said, "I guess I'll have to carry it." And with that the colossal teen bent down and picked up the scooter like it was a sack of potatoes and supported it on one shoulder. Suzuna's jaw dropped agape with amazement as did Sena's. However, the running back's surprise turned to elation as he saw the potential of an all pro lineman in the making.

The massive man was not surprised by Suzuna's reaction but Sena's caught him off guard a little. His eyes shifted to the hunk of machinery balanced on his shoulder while being supported by one hand and then back to the running back. "What?" he asked sternly.

Sena yelped at the deepness and tone of suitokku's voice and stuttered, "No... nothing, it's just that seeing you do that has made me positive you'll make a great lineman."

"Lineman?" he asked with a raised brow.

"Oh that's the position you would play if you make the team."

The lineman prospect grunted and readjusted the heavy piece of machinery and began to walk towards the street. As he strode along mightily, seeming unbothered by his awkward burden he asked, "What exactly does a lineman do for this… football?"

Sena thought for a moment before responding, "Well your main objective on offense will to be to block the other team from tackling the quarterback or to open running lanes for me. On defense your job will be to tackle the quarter back or whoever has the ball and stop them from advancing down field."

Suitokku was now staring at Sena with a serious frown and wide confused eyes. The giant was clearly perplexed by Sena's overuse of football verbiage and terminology. The mammoth teen simply replied with, "Uhh… right… how's that again?"

Sena only laughed nervously and offered, "Well it'll come easier when you're actually on the field. That's how it was with me… also I'm not a lineman so I wouldn't be able to explain it properly. But don't worry; Kurita will be thrilled to have another lineman on the team! He'll teach you everything you need to know."

"What's this Kurita fellow like?" the lumbering giant asked.

Sena scratched his head for a moment and looked up, thinking of what to say. "Well he's one of Japan's all pro lineman. He's really nice and has a big heart."

"He's got a big belly too hee hee." Suzuna added while giggling.

Suitokku let out a harsh breath through his nose, apparently his version of a laugh.

"But seriously Kurita is probably the best person you could learn from. He'll make you into a great lineman!" Suzuna finished enthusiastically.

The giant nodded and brought his free hand up to rub his nose with his index finger, "I see…"

The trio of teens trudged along at Suitokku's pace for a while not saying anything. Sena and Suzuna could hardly believe that the massive spiky haired teen could carry the heavy scooter nonstop for as far as he already had. They had already walked for six blocks in the direction of his uncle Wabisuke's rental shop and Suitokku still showed no signs of tiring at all. His size was imposing enough but his stamina was downright frightening. After walking another block Suzuna couldn't contain herself any longer.

"How are you not tired from carrying that big thing?" she asked incredulously.

Suitokku eyed her as he continued walking unabated. He shifted the broken and battered scooter a bit before answering, "I didn't really think about it… I guess it's just not that heavy for me. Some of the stuff we have to carry on the boat is a lot heavier than this."

"Whoa-h" the navy haired teen mewled as she watched the towering giant with amazement. Sena too looked on in awe, to him Suitokku was like a brand new shiny toy for the football team and he couldn't wait to see what the man could do in pads. They continued to walk beside their enormous new friend and Suzuna, ever the talkative and curious one asked, "Hey Suitokkun, this has been bugging me for a little while..."

"What's that Tak-Suzuna?" he replied while fumbling over using her first name instead of her family name.

"You're mother isn't Japanese is she? Where is she from?" she asked curiously.

"Oh that." He chuckled. "I guess I didn't mention it to you guys, but I'm half Irish. My Da met my Ma in Dublin when he was a young fella and well the rest is ancient history."

"Is that why you're so big too?" she asked greedily, her curiosity building.

Suitokku simply smirked slightly and replied, "Yeah I guess so, my Ma's Da was apparently a huge man, but to be honest I don't really know. None of my brothers are as big as I am so I couldn't really say…"

Sena just followed silently rubbing his chin thoughtfully as his girlfriend continued to badger the behemoth with questions. He had found a real gem here. There was no doubt in Sena's mind that the massive teen had the potential to land the sports scholarship. It was only a matter of teaching him how to properly do the drills for his position in time. They had five days left until the tryouts and if they left tomorrow then Suitokku would only realistically have three days to train with Kurita by the time they got back to Enma. This was going to be cutting it close, uncomfortably close.

A few minutes later they arrived at the rental lot and Suitokku approached his uncle's kiosk with a sobering look on his face. The round man in the kiosk began to laugh and jovially welcomed his nephew at first but then his face shrank into a shroud of darkness when he saw his mangled moped resting on the teen's broad shoulders and the two nervous teens he had rented it to the prior day hiding behind Suitokku's massive frame.

"Suitokku! What happened to my scooter?" the portly man asked.

The lumbering giant gently placed the mashed up hunk of machinery onto the ground in front of the kiosk and began explaining the whole ordeal to his uncle. While Suitokku and Suzuna recounted the tale of the prior night, with Sena showing his bruises as proof the trio of teens managed to calm the old man down.

"Well I'm relieved that no one got seriously hurt. I guess I can let this one slide… after all business has been good lately so it shouldn't hurt my pocket too bad after insurance." Uncle Wabisuke sighed.

"I'm really sorry about this Uncle Wabisuke it's all my fault." The towering teen apologized once again.

"Don't worry about it kid, you did a great thing helping these two youngsters out. That makes up for it in my eyes." He smiled warmly.

As the relatives continued talking to each other about the scrapped scooter Suzuna made her way over to Sena who was off in his own little world thinking about something. It wasn't much of a guess to figure out what was on the brunette's mind. She walked up and interlaced her arm with his and quietly said, "Hey… Sena…"

The running back turned his head towards her still holding his chin in thought and said, "Hmm?"

"If you want we can leave today, so….so that Suitokkun can start training tomorrow and have an extra day with Kuritan." She said looking down guiltily.

"Suzuna-chan! That wouldn't be fair to you, cutting our trip early because of that!"

"No Sena really it's ok, I mean just think about what this could mean for the football team! Suitokkun is a monster! It'd be awesome if he could play for us. But the only way that's going to happen is if he gets the sports scholarship and right now he doesn't know anything about football! He needs all the time with Kuritan he can get!" she replied earnestly clutching tighter to Sena with every word.

Sena stared wide eyed into her lustrous blue orbs. He blushed slightly and glanced down in spite of himself and said, "Thanks Suzuna-chan, you're really the best. I love you." And he gave her a quick peck on the lips to show his appreciation for the thoughtful and selfless girl he fell in love with.

The navy haired teen turned a deep red color and whispered, "I love you too Sena-kun. You should go talk to Suitokkun about leaving today then." The running back nodded and gave the navy haired beauty another quick peck before dashing over to the titanic teen who had just said his goodbyes to his uncle.

"Hey Suitokku can I talk to you about something?" the wild haired brunette asked as he approached the leviathan.

"What's that Sena?" asked the towering teen.

"Would you be up for leaving today to start your training with Kurita? If we leave today you'll get an extra day and you'll be better prepared for the sports scholarship tryout." Sena replied evenly.

The big behemoth sucked in his breath not quite expecting the sudden question, as he had planned on leaving tomorrow. Suitokku hesitantly answered, "Uh… I suppose that's probably a good idea… I'll have to get my things and talk to my parents first though…"

"I understand. We have to go back to get our things as well. I'll give you my phone number, do you have a cell?" Sena asked.

"Oh… uh… no I… I don't have a cell phone, but we have a telephone at the house." Suitokku replied sheepishly.

Sena suddenly felt ashamed that he may have embarrassed the large teen. He had forgotten how poor Suitokku's family was. It shouldn't be a surprise that he didn't have a cell phone. "My bad, anyway here's my cell phone number. Sena pulled a random piece of paper out of his wallet and borrowed a pen from the kiosk to write down his number. He handed the piece of paper to the giant who engulfed the small piece of parchment in his massive hand.

"Well we'll see you in a few hours I guess, just give me a call when you're ready." Sena said while waving as he took off towards Suzuna.

Suitokku watched as the young couple took off in the opposite direction from whence they came. He curled the piece of paper in his fist upwards and stared at it with a mixture of happiness and regret. His mouth formed a flat unemotional crease and his eyes were sad, but something inside him was burning with excitement.

"What was that young fellow talking about Suitokku? What's this about a sport's scholarship?" His uncle asked with intrigue.

Suitokku quickly lowered his fist in surprise and sucked in another breath as he searched for words. His eyes darted back and forth for a moment, "Apparently they think I can get a scholarship to play a sport called football at their university. But I don't know if I'll be able to live up to their expectations…" he finished with a sigh.

"That's bull shit Suitokku. You can do whatever you put your mind to. If that lad thinks you can do it after only knowing you for a day then you must have something that would merit him even offering you that position. And I _know_ that you _know_ how your parents feel about your education. It killed them that they couldn't afford to let you go to that school when you got accepted…"

Suitokku raised his hand to stop his uncle from finishing that thought. "I know uncle Wabisuke, I guess I'm just nervous about it. I've never been anywhere else other than here before. I mean… I've spent my whole life on a boat for God sakes! What the hell do I know about football? I… I just don't want to get my hopes up…" the towering giant sighed as he slumped his shoulders in sadness.

"Well you better leave today then and study up with that Kurita person huh?" His uncle added with a warm chuckle and a wink.

The massive teen uncurled his fist and looked to the shred of paper in his hand. He smirked at his uncle slightly and tightened his grip on the shred of paper with a sense of purpose. Maybe this was his big break after all. Life doesn't always give one a golden opportunity to change themselves like this very often. Suitokku's strong jaw set firmly and his brow creased slightly in determination. He squared his massive shoulders and turned towards home. He began to stride confidently away from the scooter dealership and as soon as it was out of sight he began to pick up speed. It was then that the constantly stern and stoic teen did something he rarely did as he was bolting home. He was smiling, and laughing, and not holding any of it back.


	25. Journey Home But What Home?

Disclaimer: Any original characters are property of myself and myself only. Eyeshield 21 is a series created by Riichigo Inagaki and Yusuke Murata. All characters of Eyeshield 21 are property of the original creators, Shonen Jump and Viz Media. Any references to the NFL and its players are copyrighted by the NFL and credited to their respective teams.

It did not take much for Suitokku to convince his parents to allow him to leave a day early for Enma. When the giant had told his family about the proposal Sena laid out for him, his mother and father were practically shoving him out the door with his belongings. It was almost frightening how gung ho his parents were about his education. Suitokku almost felt a bit rejected by how quickly they were willing to send him away but he knew better. This was a chance for him to better his future and potentially theirs as well, and he had to make the most of it.

The giant teen gathered what few belongings he had and stuffed them into an old tattered duffel bag. He was wearing an old dark grey turtle neck and a pair of faded denim overalls. On his feet was a pair of old brown leather boots that had seen many years at sea. He had called and told Sena about a half an hour ago from the house phone and telling him that he was able to leave today. The running back had eagerly told him that he and Suzuna would come pick him up as soon as they had packed away all their things at the beach house.

That left the colossal teen with some time to his self to say goodbye to the only life he had known for the last 12 years. His parents had already wished him well but had to attend to some business in town. So that left Suitokku completely alone in the small seaside shanty he had called home for the greater part of his life. He slowly and somberly made his way through the old beaten down home, tracing his massive hands along the walls. He could feel the age in the wood and smell the stale scent that emanated from them. Memories of holidays and joyful times flooded his mind as he etched his way along his battered home. All these years coming and going, never changing always the same. All it took was a pair of young love birds and a rented moped literally crashing into his life to change it.

Suitokku made his way outside and lumbered across the street, this time making sure to check for any runaway couples on a scooter before crossing. As he arrived to the pier across from his home he inhaled deeply, taking in the fresh sea air. He gazed out over the ocean. It was a view he had seen every single day of his life since he was seven years old. The waves splashed lazily into the pier beneath him, their white foam grasping at the support beams for dear life. Gulls cried out as they flew overhead, their white silhouettes cresting just above the waves.

The giant teen sighed and stretched out his massive arms and rested his hands on two pillars facing the sea. His hands were resting steadily on the two pylons which were separated by a good five feet of space as if they were no wider than the arms of a comfortable chair. His massive frame seemed to tower over even the sea itself as he leaned forward gazing out from the dock. The sun was still low in the sky considering it was not even noon yet and white fluffy clouds floated sleepily across the horizon.

Suitokku absorbed the vista before him for what had to be the millionth time and sighed deeply. "So this is it huh? No more seaside mornings. No more sunsets. No more fishing boat. No more…" the giant hung his head low. He chuckled to himself softly. Is this not what he wanted, a chance to get the hell out of this life? So why now was he worrying? Why question his resolve now, was he afraid? Was he afraid of change, afraid of the big wide world outside of his little life down by the sea? Suitokku tightened his grip on the old wooden pillars and gritted his teeth, "_WHY!"_ his thoughts screamed. The pillars beneath his fingers began to creak and groan under the pressure of his grip.

The sound of a foreign motor revving behind him drew his attention away from his fears, and the sound of a horn beeping forced the colossal teen to turn away from the ocean vista that had filled his eyes forever. He turned to see Suzuna and Sena waving happily from a strange looking convertible car. Suitokku eyed the small automobile curiously and saw Suzuna waving over to him from the passenger's seat.

"He-y! Suitokkun, are you ready to go?" the navy haired beauty shouted.

The giant raised his massive palm silently in reply. He bent down and grabbed his tattered old duffel bag and slung it over his shoulder and strode slowly over to the vehicle. The large teen studied the tiny car closely and began to wonder if he would even be able to fit inside of it. When he came up beside the mini cooper Suzuna asked him cheerfully, "Do you have any other bags? Sena and I could help you bring them to the car."

Suitokku opened his mouth as if to say something but only sucked in some air. After a short pause he lowered his eyes murmured, "Ah… no. This is… all I have."

Suzuna nodded sheepishly and bit her lower lip, fearing she may have embarrassed the colossal teen. But before the silence became too awkward Sena brought his arm up around behind Suzuna's seat and waved his hand dismissively. "That's ok Suitokku, just toss it in the back and hop in."

Again the blonde and black haired teen eyed the back seat with some apprehension. He easily tossed his bag behind the driver's seat and carefully squeezed into the seat behind Suzuna. The massive teen grunted uncomfortably as he adjusted himself. His knees were digging into the back of the cheer captain's seat and they were shoved upwards to a level where they almost lined up with his chest. At least with the top down he was able to position his long muscular arms across the back and side of the vehicle.

Suzuna turned and looked around from her seat and said apologetically, "I'm sorry Suitokkun but I've already moved my seat as far forward as it will go. I'd offer you my seat but I think the dashboard would be even worse for your knees."

Suitokku stared at the sincere navy haired beauty and couldn't help but turn a light shade of pink under her expression. Her eyebrows were curled up in concern and her lips were pursed in a little pout that wore away his tough outer shell. He managed to choke up a reply, "It… it's ok don't worry about me. It's not like you were expecting to bring a giant home with you." He forced a chuckle at the end of his answer.

Sena too turned around and offered "Haha, yeah I suppose you're right. Just let me know if you need to get out and stretch your legs, we've got a pretty long ride ahead of us."

"Sure." The half Irish half Japanese youth replied with a nod. Inside he thought, "_Oh man…"_

After a few hours of driving even the obstinate Suitokku needed to stop to get out and stretch his legs. As the trio of teens were all eagerly stretching out their cramped up appendages at a rest stop Sena snuck away to call Kurita on his cell phone. The tone rang a few times before the jovial lineman answered, "Sena! Hello!"

"Hey Kurita! How are you doing?" the brunette responded politely.

"I'm great! I'm really really excited for the tryout in a few days! I'm so happy Chobuu will be joining the Ligers! I'll have more linemen buddies again!" The rotund mammoth cheerfully replied.

"That's good to hear!" Sena laughed, "And speaking of more lineman I think we found one on our beach trip."

There was a sudden shocked silence and a gasp on the other end of the line before Kurita managed to cough up, "R..Really? Are you serious! That's wonderful!"

Before Kurita could continue babbling Sena interrupted him, "There's a catch though…"

"What do you mean?" Kurita asked with despair.

"He's never played football before and he needs the scholarship to get in," Sena whispered into the mouth piece. You're going to have to teach him to be a lineman before then." The wild haired brunette could feel the palpable dumbfounded feeling coming from the other line.

After a short pause Kurita sighed, "I don't know if I could. Not that I don't think its impossible but to teach someone to be a lineman in four days worthy of the sports scholarship…" Kurita let out an exasperated breath of doubt.

"Trust me on this one Kurita, he's more than capable to do it. He just needs to learn the basics so he can wow the sports committee. And besides," he paused to build up suspense, "I think the greatest lineman in Kanto can train a promising prospect in four days."

On the other line Kurita's face hardened with determination. "I'll do it! Call me when you get back I'll be at the field tomorrow before dawn!" He bellowed.

"Thanks Kurita!" Sena replied sincerely before hanging up.

"Sena-!" Are you ready to leave yet?" Suzuna pouted from beside the mini cooper.

"H…Hai!" shouted the surprised running back and began sprinting back to the vehicle. He hopped into the passenger's seat because Suzuna had expressed that she wanted a turn behind the wheel for a while on the fun little foreign automobile. He buckled his seat belt saying, "Sorry about that, I just had to give Kurita a call and let him know you'd be coming." He looked to Suitokku as he said this implying that he was talking about the giant.

Suitokku shifted uncomfortable forward in the back seat and asked, "So am I going to be staying with this Kurita fellow or…" he trailed off.

Sena began to nod but froze in terror. He hadn't thought about where Suitokku would stay. Kurita lived in the same sized apartment as he did and Sena didn't think that either of them would have enough room to house the colossal teen. He hated to admit it but he honestly doubted Suitokku could sleep on his bed let alone his couch, he was just too big! "_Oh shit… no one else on the football team has a place he could stay permanently…well maybe except for… why him…"_

As Sena sat silently in fear quickly dashing through his mind for a place to keep the giant Suitokku asked again, "Sena…? I do have a place to stay don't I?"

The running back quickly turned around and raised one finger as if he had an idea and began to stutter nervously, "Uh-... y…you could probably s…stay with me at l…least for a few days until we know if you made the team or not but…"

Suzuna interjected, "You can't make him sleep on your couch Sena!"

Sena immediately slumped over in defeat. Muttering and murmuring to himself in pity.

Suitokku leaned forward with and edge of concern and sternness in his voice, "Where am I supposed to stay then? I can't afford a hotel Sena!"

"I know I know! Let me think her a minute." The football star stammered.

Suzuna glanced over at her feeble boyfriend and asked, "Doesn't Dante live by himself in some huge apartment off campus?"

Sena moaned lightly as he was slumping over before replying, "Yeah I think he did say something like that a while back… but…"

"But what?" both Suzuna and Suitokku asked suddenly, unnerving the running back some more.

"I…It's just Dante is a little…" Sena paused searching for the right word, "eccentric sometimes. I don't want Suitokku to be traumatized or anything." The athletic teen tried to argue unsuccessfully.

"Oh come one Sena. I think you're just too shy. Dante is a really great guy!" Suzuna scolded.

"You didn't see some of the stuff he did in America…" Sena shuddered.

"Nonsense! I think Dante would be more than willing to help us out, especially since it's for the football team." His girlfriend argued.

Suitokku sat back listening to the couple go back and forth about this unknown teammate and after a few more half hearted exchanges from Sena the giant asked, "So this Dante plays for your team too?"

Sena who was still slumping over rubbing his head sat up and began scratching the back of his head. "Yeah, he's our tight end and one of our linebackers as well."

"Is he really as bad as you're making him out to be?" the colossal teen asked uneasily.

The brunette running back quickly turned towards the potential lineman and stammered, "N..no! Dante really is a great guy. Heck… I know he'd give you the shirt off his back if you asked him to. But…"

"Bu-t?" Suitokku drew out trying to dig the runner for information.

"He's just eccentric sometimes." Suzuna interrupted to keep Sena from scaring Suitokku any further. "I mean he's certainly not as bad as Hiruma hahaha."

Even Sena managed to crack a smile and laugh audibly at the jab aimed at the former Deimon quarterback. Somehow like always Suzuna seemed to know just what to say to calm him down. The nimble runner calmly inhaled and said, "You're right Suzuna-chan. And don't worry Suitokku, Dante isn't all that bad. You'll just have to get used to some of his quirks."

The giant youth adjusted again uncomfortably and nodded solemnly accepting Sena's explanation as it was. However his curiosity got the better of him and the spiky bi-colored haired man asked, "Quirks?"

Suzuna began to giggle softly and cheerfully teased, "I hope you like nick names!" In the passenger's seat Sena groaned and bent over once more mumbling to himself. Once again Suitokku began having second thoughts.


	26. Dante's Peak

Disclaimer: Any original characters are property of myself and myself only. Eyeshield 21 is a series created by Riichigo Inagaki and Yusuke Murata. All characters of Eyeshield 21 are property of the original creators, Shonen Jump and Viz Media. Any references to the NFL and its players are copyrighted by the NFL and credited to their respective teams.

A few hours passed before the young trio arrived back at Enma. After trying to get a hold of Dante for hours to no avail Sena decided it may be best just to stop by and see if he was home. A call to Kurita disclosed the beastlike teen's whereabouts and they were on their way. Suzuna dropped the pair off in front of the shaggy haired American's apartment building but decided not to come in herself. Instead the navy haired teen thought it was best to return the mini cooper before the rental company closed. Before leaving, the lithe cheer captain leaned out the driver's side window and gave her lover a kiss farewell and wished both he and Suitokku good luck before driving away in the foreign vehicle.

The brunette athlete watched as his lover sped away with admiration and turned sighing uneasily towards the entrance of the large upscale apartment building. He turned an unsteady glance at Suitokku and held out his hand indicating the giant should enter first. The colossal teen from the sea took the running back's queue, snatching up his tattered old duffel bag and strode into the building through its sliding glass doors.

The lobby that loomed before them was massive and elaborate. Highly adorned mosaics matted the floor almost creating an illusion that the linoleum was on an entirely different plane of existence from the rest of the room. The ceiling was equally decorated, being covered in murals of varying kinds of oriental artwork. Large crystal chandeliers hung brilliantly from the beautifully articulated ceiling leading towards the main desk. Plush luxurious leather furniture laid about the lobby as though their prim and proper extravagance gave them more right to be there than other less worthy furnishings. The whole lobby just screamed upper class and big bucks. Suitokku was completely taken aback, and even Sena who had his share of experiencing uppity occasions and places because of Hiruma was amazed as well.

"You're teammate lives here?" Suitokku asked astounded.

Sena glanced at the shred of paper in his hand and nodded with a gulp, "It… it's the right address according to Kurita."

Feeling horribly out of place the pair of teens shuffled over to the main desk and were greeted by a tanned man with a wiry mustache wearing what looked to be a very expensive three piece suit. The man looked at the pair of youths through thin eyes and raised an eyebrow at Suitokku and his tattered bag. The man glanced at both of them for a moment longer before asking sleepily, "May I help you?"

Sena answered hesitantly, "Um, yes we're trying to find a person's apartment by the name of Dante Klausen?"

"Name." the man said more than asked.

"Um excuse me?" the now confused runner queried.

"Your name sir, Mr. Klausen's son specifically made it clear to us that only people on his list were allowed to go to his apartment."

"Oh, ok… my name is Sena Kobayakawa…" the wild haired brunette replied and turned to Suitokku with a shrug.

"One moment please." The wiry mustached man quickly typed the name into his computer and scanned the screen every few seconds before responding, "Any aliases?"

Sena once again became confused and thought "_Aliases?" _But before long the embarrassing realization hit him. "Oh no… you've got to be kidding me…" he muttered to himself. The brunette swore he could hear Dante upstairs, laughing down at his torment.

"Sir?" the snooty little man said becoming impatient.

The all star sighed and mumbled grumpily, "Twinkle Toes…"

"I'm sorry sir could you speak up?"

Sena breathed harshly through his nose, irritated about repeating himself, "Twinkle Toes!" he said clearly and disdainfully. Beside him Suitokku was trying not to laugh at the poor running back. The lithe runner caught this out of the corner of his eye and slumped down mumbling to himself.

"Ah yes here we are Mr. Twinkle Toes. And your large friend here?" the wispy little man asked indicating the goliath across from is counter.

The giant stuck his massive thumb into his chest and said sternly, "Suitokku Tomo."

"Hmm nothing is about a Suitokku Tomo. Any aliases?" he replied snippily after typing in the name.

The giant let a drawn out 'pwah' sound escape his mouth in a big breath. He didn't know what to say. The wispy counter clerk looked at the giant expectedly and Suitokku began to get nervous. Luckily for him Sena intervened and said, "He's Squirt!"

The little man behind the counter stared daggers at Sena and looked to the giant dismissively before asking sarcastically, "Is this true 'Squirt'?"

The giant glanced at Sena curiously and decided to play along, "Ye..Yeah but can you blame me… Dante gives such embarrassing nicknames." Suitokku finished forcing a laugh.

"It is not my position to question Mr. Klausen's motives sir. A person named Squirt is on the list however, so I suppose it is…" he paused distastefully once again glancing at Suitokku's drab attire, "ok to let the both of you up."

Sena bowed quickly and said "Thank you thank you."

The snooty little clerk reached under the counter and produced a small key card which he handed to Sena. "Take this clearance card, it will allow you to go to the top floor in that elevator. I will call Mr. Klausen and inform him of your arrival." the little man directed as he pointed toward one of the four elevators to the left of the main desk.

"Wait which room number is he in?" Sena asked curiously.

The desk clerk rolled his eyes and said, "There is no room number sir, Mr. Klausen's suite is the entire top floor."

Sena and Suitokku's jaws both nearly hit the floor and their eyes almost popped out of their sockets. They both turned to each other slowly and Suitokku mouthed, "The whole floor?"

Sena only shrugged and stammered, mouth still ajar, "I had no idea, I haven't visited Dante's place since he came to Japan."

"I mean… are you sure this will be ok? I'm just a poor fisherman's son… I feel really out of place…" Suitokku whispered with one of his massive hands up to his mouth to keep the wiry desk clerk from hearing him while he glanced around nervously.

Enma's team captain stuttered, "Y…yeah it.. it's ok I'm sure Dante won't mind at all. Besides," Sena waved his hand dismissively, "It's only for a little while until you can get your own place after making the team right?" The wild haired brunette winked suggestively and tossed a soft punch into the giants shoulder in an attempt to build his confidence. Suitokku looked around doubtfully but nodded with a sigh trying to find some resolve.

Once the pair boarded the elaborately adorned elevator they slid the key card into the opening provided and the words "Penthouse" came to life on the monitor atop the door. A soft hum sounded and the elevator juked slightly downward before slowly beginning its ascent.

As they waited for the elevator to reach its destination Suitokku chuckled slightly and turned his head in Sena's direction before asking, "Squirt?"

Sena swiveled his head towards the giant and smiled light heartedly, "That's Suzuna's nickname, it was the only thing I could think of haha. Dante has names for everyone on the team but hers was the first that came to mind."

The giant snorted and said "And you're Twinkle Toes then?"

The runner's content smile turned sour and he turned away from the giant grumbling his disapproval of the moniker. "You'll get yours." He spat under his breath.

Suitokku cocked an eyebrow at the teen and shifted the tattered old duffel bag that slung from his shoulder. At that moment the elevator made the sound of a ringing bell and the doors opened to a short foyer with an oak double door. Sena approached the door first and rang the bell tentatively and took a step back placing his hands together in front of him, his right hand cupping his left wrist patiently.

After a few moments the door creaked open and an elderly gentleman greeted the pair of young men. He was tall, easily over six feet in height and thin as a rail. He was wearing a black on black checkered patterned vest with a long sleeve white button down shirt underneath and a pair of fine black slacks. A simple black bow tie sat neatly at his collar and he wore a pair of round gold wire framed glasses without ear parts. Instead they just sat on his long beak of a nose. He had bright vibrant eyes, slate gray in color that peered out from baggy crow feet infested sockets under his glasses. His hair was stark white and the top of his head was a bald. A thick well kept mustache jutted out from under his nose and curled up slightly on either side.

The elderly man acknowledged them both with a bow and an English accent, "You must be Master Dante's friends. Please do come in. I will fetch the young master momentarily." With that the butler showed the pair of teens in and walked off to find their hairy teammate.

In front of the pair of teens extended the classiest and most luxurious apartment either one of them had ever seen. A massive view of the city extended before them from a wall of glass overlooking the forty by thirty foot room. The floors were covered from wall to wall in the plushest midnight blue carpeting imaginable. Two luxurious leather couches made the shape of a crescent moon and sat around a magnificent round mahogany table that was ornately carved with decorative depictions of many Asian legends and characters. In the middle of the table a giant yin yang symbol was carved with Celtic runes lacing the outside of it, and around the runes was an oroborous of incredibly intricate detail.

A substantially sized and fully equipped bar sat in the back right corner of the massive open area where the lush carpets were devoured by rich hard wood floors. Several red cushioned bar stools lined the dark hardwood bar and a cornucopia of different liquors lined the shelves which were protected by glass cupboards. The opposite side of the room opened into a large archway which led into a kitchen that seemed to have been carved from one colossal hunk of white granite. Every inch of the absurdly clean kitchen was of polished granite and stainless steel appliances and necessities. A decently sized six foot by eight foot island rose from the center of the pristine mess hall and pots and pans of the purest silver color hung above it like guardian angels. The walls were decorated by carefully hand painted grapevines of the most beautiful detail. From there the kitchen lead through another archway and down an expansive hallway lined with paintings and other decorum with doors lining either side. Sena and Suitokku could hear faint metal music playing down that hallway in which the elderly man had disappeared into some moments ago.

Both of the shell shocked teens stood completely still, afraid to even breathe as if they might break something. Suitokku felt completely out of place. He had never been around such finery and luxury even once in all of his years. He had no idea how to react and could only stand there in complete and utter shock. To think that he might be staying in such a ridiculously lavish place because some pipsqueak had hit him with a moped. The leviathan ran his hand through his air in disbelief.

Sena too just stood there in amazement with his jaw hovering only inches above the floor. He had always known Dante was pretty well off, but this just blew his mind! He had no idea that the hairy American was this loaded. What struck him even more was that he could in no way, ever imagine Dante would live in a place as ritzy as this. That hairy oaf who was always goofing around and being an animal lived here? Stranger still, why did Dante never mention this place? The big ape only ever told the team he lived in an apartment outside of campus with his dad and one of his associates and nothing more. The red haired maniac's modesty astounded Sena.

Down the hall the volume of the angry sounding music increased and a small interchange of shouts were exchanged as. Presumably the elderly man had opened the door to whatever room Dante had been hiding in and thus let out the calamity of electric guitar and double bass drums which was now assaulting the waiting pair of teens in the living room area. Neither Sena nor Suitokku could make out what either person down the hall was saying over the ridiculously loud music but after a few more moments the sound of screeching instruments stopped. Before they knew it Dante came strolling out of the hallway and through the kitchen. He shouted a greeting through the archway, "He-y Twinkle Toes! Squiirrrrrt?" The last nickname escaped his mouth in a confused question as the colossus standing beside Sena was not the cute little navy haired cheer captain he had expected.

When the hairy teen arrived in the living room Suitokku dropped his bag and raised his hands defensively taking a few steps back, his eyes now open with fear. Dante ignored this for the most part only raising an eyebrow at the giant. However, when the red headed teen noticed that Sena was shying away too in his characteristic stutter stammer step he growled sarcastically, "What's wrong Twinkle Toes, you've met Calypso before! And who's the giant puss cake?" Dante nodded in the direction of the cowering giant with a furrowed brow.

When Dante said that Sena knew "Calypso", what the foreigner was really referring to was the nine foot long bredli carpet python that was resting lazily across his shoulders. The massive serpent was a beautiful mahogany color and was covered in pale olive colored lines and markings. The heat pits which lined the snake's jaws gave it a sinister and evil look. However, as both Dante and Sena knew, Calypso was a docile creature which had never bitten anyone and seemed to enjoy being handled; at least to the extent with which a snake could enjoy anything anyway.

Before Sena had a chance to reply Calypso stretched out her head towards the lithe runner and Dante held her forward gently saying with a gushy voice, "Awww wook! She missed you Twinkle Towes, you big meany!"

Sena laughed nervously, almost hiccupping in spite of himself before he managed to stammer. "Ye…yeah! It… it's just b…been a while… s..she's gotten so '_gulp' _…big" The running backs eyes grew wider as Calypso's flickering tongue inched closer to his face, the snakes emotionless orbs watching him without blinking. Meanwhile about eight feet away Suitokku was still backing away slowly from the reptile.

"Yeah she has gotten bigger I guess…" Dante trailed off whimsically, but after glancing back to Suitokku he exploded, "But hey! What's the deal Twinkle Toes? I thought you and your little lady were finally going to pay me a visit up here in this lofty tower and instead you bring me a giant wuss under her name!" he said loudly while glancing between the two guests.

The wild haired brunette's voice was caught in his throat for a few seconds until Calypso lost interest in him and slinked back towards Dante's torso and away from his face. Sena took a deep breath to compose himself and said, "I know, I know but it's the only way I could get him upstairs… the front clerk was pretty adamant. And I've been trying to call you all day!"

"Yeah Bernard's a prick." Dante said flatly with a bored look on his face while he petted the back of Calypso's leathery body. He shot an annoyed look towards the Irish half breed and spat, "So what's his story then?" The red haired American nodded towards the cowering giant as he slowly crept further away from the massive snake slung over Dante's broad shoulders.

Sena sighed in defeat knowing that he wasn't going to receive an explanation as to why Dante hadn't answered his calls. He decided to let it go and said, "Well it's kind of a long story…" but before being able to continue Dante strode calmly over to one of the half moon couches and sat down indicating for his guests to join him.

"Do tell Twinkle Toes, do tell." The bushy browed teen implored.

Sena made his way over to the sofa opposite of his furry friend and managed to coax the ophidophobic giant to sit beside him. Enma's star running back told Dante about the whole collision with the giant sea faring youth and the impressive feats he had accomplished in stopping the run away vehicle, and the show of strength the next day in carrying the heavy scooter several blocks back to its lot. All the while the bearded teen sat patiently with a disinterested look on his face, simply staring at the spiky white and black haired behemoth sitting on his couch. After Sena concluded his tale of events, Dante sighed and held his hand out in front of his face, passive examining his fingernails. Once the American realized Sena was finished with his story he looked at him hard and asked. "So?"

"S..so I wanted to know if he could s..stay here for a few days while Kurita trains him? I mean until we find out if he can make the team." Sena asked nervously.

"Why doesn't he stay with Creampuff then?"

"Kurita lives in an apartment as small as mine!" Sena said matter of factly.

"Jesus, you mean to tell me that big fluff ball lives in a small ass place like that?" Dante asked incredulously.

Sena mewled pitifully at Dante's Jab while pressing his fore fingers together showing that he had not quite forgotten the nervous tick, and muttered weakly, "Yeah so you can see our dilemma. Suitokku needs a place to stay until the tryouts are over, maybe longer and you're our only hope."

The quirky foreigner glanced back and forth between the pair of teens in front of him a few times and closed his eyes, taking in a deep breath as he did. Suddenly Dante roared, "WINSTEAD!" Sena and Suitokku both nearly fell backwards over the luxurious crescent moon couch at the unexpected outburst. Almost instantly the elderly gentleman who had greeted them at the door appeared out of the kitchen archway.

"Yes Master Dante?" he asked regally.

"Would you return Calypso to her enclosure please?" Dante asked, oddly polite for once, holding out the giant python towards the butler.

"Right away sir." Winstead said curtly while gently taking the large constrictor from his charge's hands. With grace and ease the older gentleman slung Calypso over his shoulders and paraded away down the hall past the kitchen to a secret room out of Sena and Suitokku's view.

Once the butler had left Sena asked tentatively, "D..Dante… is Mr. Winstead your…?"

"Butler, what of it?" The hairy teen asked brashly.

Sena began to wave his hands in front of his face defensively trying to curb his friend's scorn. "N..Nothing! I was j..just curious is all!"

Dante only replied with a "Hmm," before turning towards Suitokku. "You! Stand up."

Suitokku hesitated for a moment not really understanding why he was asked to stand. Dante grew agitated and barked, "Yeah you Fish Head, the one on the couch with the arms. STAND UP!" The spiky haired behemoth quickly satisfied the fiery foreigner's request. Dante rose from the couch he was sitting on and made his way over to the giant who was taller than him by a good four inches and easily outweighed him by seventy pounds or more. The bushy browed red head slowly made his way in a circle around the confused teen, examining him closely all the while. Suitokku nearly jumped in surprise when Dante grabbed one of his biceps and squeezed firmly. The strange wild haired American continued to examine the new prospect with immense focus for a few more rounds and then returned to his couch across from the giant and pipsqueak.

After reclining back onto the sofa Dante pressed his tongue against his upper lip inside his mouth making a tsk sound and asked blasely, "So… Fish Head...you think you can play football huh?" while raising his bushy eyebrows briefly.

Suitokku, having remained silent through all of this finally found his voice. "Yes, if it means furthering my education then I want to learn how to play."

The personified statue of David sitting on the couch spread his arms out along the luxurious leather sofa and narrowed his eyes towards the stocky seaman and said sternly, "Not good enough…"

Sena looked surprised at Dante's unusual attitude and Suitokku frowned, "Ex… excuse me?"

"Not good enough… We don't need a player who is only on the field so he can go to school…"

Suitokku looked confused and as if he had something on the tip of his tongue but it was stuck. Meanwhile Sena who was still sitting on the edge of the couch intervened with an edge of concern in his voice, "Dante… what are you saying?"

Dante shot a irritated eye Sena's way and said somewhat loudly, "I'm saying we don't need a player who's only reason to be on the field is so he can 'go to school'" while adding a mocking face and quotation fingers at the end of his comment. "Besides…" he paused looking at Suitokku with a chastising grin, "He's afraid…"

Suitokku looked as if he'd been slapped across the face, but Dante didn't stop there.

"Also he's got no football experience! Do you even know how hard it is to make a college level team with a lifetime of experience let alone NONE AT ALL! HAH!"

Sena had a look of shock and disappointment mixed on his sorry face. Suitokku lowered his gaze and slowly began to clench his fists at his side. However the hairy foreigner didn't stop there.

" Do you really think he can learn to be a lineman in four days?" He asked directing his question at Sena.

"Well y… yeah anything i… is possible." Sena tried to argue weakly.

"HAH! Do you honestly mean to tell me that this Fish Head can become a COLLEGE level lineman worthy of a scholarship? Oh sure he's big but what's that matter if he's a scared little chicken shit…" Before the foul mouthed foreigner could continue Suitokku exploded.

The massive teen leapt at Dante and grabbed him by his shirt easily lifting him from the sofa with one hand. He heaved the still frowning American close to his face and seethed through gritted teeth, "Now you listen here hairball! I didn't have my entire way of life uprooted by some runt on a scooter, and drive across half the damn country in a tin can of a car to have some ginger badmouth me!" He brought Dante even closer and narrowed his eyes dangerously. "I AM going to learn to play this football in four days, and I AM going to get that scholarship! I AM NOT going to spend the rest of my life a poor fisherman's son. And there's no way in hell you or anybody else is going to stop me!"

For a few breathless moments the leviathan stood there holding Dante dangerously close to his face, the foreigner's feet not even touching the floor. The hairy American just stared back at the imposing colossus with narrowed eyes. Sena's jaw hung open with shock and fear at the spectacle. The running back tried what felt like a hundred times to say something to try and break the tension and separate the two volatile teens, but all of a sudden Dante began to laugh heartily.

Suitokku released a little tension on his grip of the American's collar out of surprise more than anything at the now guffawing foreigner. Dante took a few big gulps of air to steady himself and then hardened his visage. A wickedly devious smile spread its way across his beastly face and he grabbed the leviathan by his own shirt. Though still being held aloft by Suitokku, Dante stared him down fearlessly through his lewd grin and shouted, "Now that's more like it! That's the kind of attitude we need big guy!"

A look of dumbfounded surprise sparked through the giant's eyes for a millisecond. In spite of all that had happened only seconds ago Suitokku felt his rage dissipate into a feeling of overwhelming joy. He almost let it show on his face but still managed to keep his stern visage intact as he slowly put Dante on the ground. When the unpredictable red head was placed down he evened out the ruffles on his shirt and placed his hands on his hips. He eyed the giant standing in front of him while still showing that indescribable grin and leaned forward before saying, "That took some real guts there Fish Head. If you can keep up that tenacity on the field then you might just stand a chance." The audacious youth turned away from the giant and finished by saying, "You can stay here as long as you want. "

While Suitokku managed to contain his enthusiasm and simply nod at the strange American, Sena was all smiles and raced over to pat his new friend on the back in congratulations. The massive man turned to the smaller athlete and nodded with a slight smirk and said, "Sorry bout the runt comment."

Sena waved his hand dismissively saying, "Don't worry about it. I'm used to that."

While Sena and Suitokku were still exchanging niceties Dante roared across the room, "WINSTEAD!" and moments later the old butler appeared as if by teleportation.

"Yes Master Dante?" he said politely.

"This is Fish Head. He will be staying with us for a while, please show him to his room and prepare a second one for Creampuff." Dante stated evenly indicating Suitokku as "Fish Head".

"Certainly sir." Winstead replied without question.

"You're going to have Kurita stay here too?" Sena asked with a smile.

Dante turned back towards his guests and mused, "Might as well. Knowing Creampuff the earlier he can get started the better, and besides Fish Head's gonna need all the help he can get to resemble any kind of lineman in four days. Isn't that right Fish Head?" Dante said with a Cheshire cat grin.

Suitokku looked to and from Sena and Dante with disdain. The colossal teen furrowed his brow in disappointment and sighed, "Fish Head… that's really the best you could come up with?"

Dante looked surprised and impressed at the same time before smiling dastardly, "All right _Fish Head_ I'll make you a deal. You give me a reason to call you something else in the next four days and at the try outs then I'll give you a better one."

Suitokku nodded evenly, accepting the deal for what it was, and nearly jumped out of his socks when Winstead appeared like an apparition standing beside him with his bag. The old man with the curly mustache held out his hand to indicate that Suitokku should follow him and said, "Right this way Mr. Fish Head."


	27. Impending Horizons

Disclaimer: Any original characters are property of myself and myself only. Eyeshield 21 is a series created by Riichigo Inagaki and Yusuke Murata. All characters of Eyeshield 21 are property of the original creators, Shonen Jump and Viz Media. Any references to the NFL and its players are copyrighted by the NFL and credited to their respective teams.

Suitokku was escorted by Winstead down the long hallway lined with doors to either side of them. The colossal teen had already said his goodbyes to Sena in the divine living room moments earlier. Wishing him luck over the next few days Sena had left soon after Dante had allowed the stocky youth to stay. After all as Enma's captain, the running back would be very busy over the next few days helping to arrange and organize the tryouts in preparation for the new recruits. Although the mammoth of a man had been unsteady to see Sena leave he kept up a strong front and persevered. Considering this was his best chance at a better life Suitokku knew he had to remain strong.

After a short walk the elderly butler stopped at a particular door on the left side of the hallway. The pair must have passed six or seven other doors already but the spiky haired teen decided not to probe. Winstead gently sat down Suitokku's tattered and ragged old duffel bag and opened the door for the young man waving his hand in the direction of the open doorway. "After you Mr. Fish Head." The aged gentlemen said curtly, his British accent oddly interlacing his Japanese very well."

Suitokku sighed and said politely, almost pleadingly, "Please, Winstead just call me Suitokku…"

The old butler replied instantaneously, "I'm terribly sorry Mr. Fish Head but Master Dante is adamant that I call his friends by the monikers that he provides them."

A frown spread across the stern teen's face and he muttered, "Right…"

He entered the guest room and opened his mouth in surprise. The eighteen by sixteen foot room was painted from wall to wall the deepest shade of purple one could imagine. Even the carpets were a deep violet in color. A large king sized bed rose from the center of the purple ocean to the right side of the room, its head rest sitting tightly against the wall. To each side of the bed was a large, finely made black dresser complete with nine drawers each. Across from the bed was a 72 inch flat screen television that hung from the wall. On each side of the television there were black cubes of varying sizes protruding from the walls. There was a square glass vase filled with a single white candle and small round stones sitting on each individual cube. Cattycorner to the massive entertainment system was a walk in closet fit for a giant. It had to have been twelve feet by twelve feet alone and was lined with areas to hang shirts or place shoes and any other manner of clothing imaginable. This was by far leagues above the small hovel of a room he had to call his own back home.

The giant from the sea couldn't speak. His tongue was caught up in his throat as though it had been tied into a dozen knots. How could he accept this? What had he done to deserve such luxury? He wanted to say no, that he couldn't accept this, that it was too much. But he couldn't say a word. It took every ounce of strength in him to remain standing and not to shed a single tear. From behind him he could hear Winstead sitting his haggard old bag on one of the black dressers next to the bed.

The old butler offered one more kindness to him saying, "I know the young master may have come across as a bit brash earlier but he means well. I can tell already he sees a great deal of promise in you Mr. Fish Head. I regret to say that I have some other errands to attend to this evening, but please if you need anything do not hesitate to ask."

Suitokku lowered his chin and chuffed lightly still not facing the elderly gentleman behind him. He clenched his fists slightly and only managed to reply, "Yeah… thanks…" With that Winstead bowed courteously and exited the room closing the door behind him. Suitokku finally managed to stagger his way over to the plush and comfortable bed, turning to collapse into a sitting position on it. He spread his massive hands out over the fine fabric and looked around the room. Jutting out his lower jaw he frowned trying to fight back the waves of emotions coming over him. Lowering his head the giant let out a small and inaudible, "Thank you… thank you…"

* * *

Strong gnarly fingers dialed a number into a cell phone, and upon pressing send they jammed the cellular device against a hairy face. The tone rang for a few moments as the caller waited patiently with his opposite hand resting on his hip. A soft voice replied on the other end of the line, "Hello?"

"Creampuff! Pack your things you're coming to stay at my place for a few days!" Dante enthusiastically screeched into the mouthpiece.

"Oh Dante! As much as I'd like to I have to train…" The bumbling Kurita replied but was interrupted.

"Fish Head, already got him here. Figured you'd get a rush start training the bum."

"He's staying at your place then? Should I just meet you at the field tomorrow like I had planned with Sena?"

"Yeah he's in one of the guest rooms. And no, I'm having Winstead make one up for you too so get your ass over here!"

"S..Sure! Just let me pack some things and I'll be over!" The rotund linemen replied happily.

"Oi! One more thing!" Dante shouted.

"Yeah?"

"Bring some of your extra equipment and pads too, I don't think I have anything that will fit the lummox." The hairy foreigner brooded thoughtfully.

"How big is he?" Kurita asked dubiously.

"I think he might be able to contend with you big guy." Dante replied lewdly.

A stunned but excited silence emanated from the other line. The bushy browed American could almost see Kurita beaming with joy and awe. After a few seconds of silence Dante barked, "Yeah, yeah wipe the drool off your face and get over here ASAP dough ball!"

"Right! I'll be over as fast as I can." The chubby man finished jovially.

Dante folded his phone shut and tossed it onto his bed without so much as giving it a second glance. He interlaced his fingers and stretched his hands high above his head. An audible crack resounded from his bones and a wicked smile spread across his lips. The hairy American eyed the clock sitting on his bed stand and maliciously said with joy, "Sleep tight Fish Head, because tomorrow Creampuff and I are gonna put you through hell."

* * *

Sena arrived back at his apartment a short while after he left Dante's luxurious abode. The lithe running back approached his doorstep calmly, unlocked the deadbolt, and entered his home. He placed his keys onto the kitchen table and removed his shoes. Leisurely making his way to the couch he sat down placidly and placed his feet upon the round coffee table in front of the sofa.

Suzuna was supposed to come over in a few minutes once she had taken all of her things home, and Sena decided that until she arrived he was just going to relax. The brunette teen had just had a very eventful past few days after all, and it seemed like this was the first time he had gotten the chance to sit down and soak it all in. Not only had he traveled to a beautiful seaside get away with his beloved, but he had also made love for the first time as well. He also got into his first vehicular accident and suffered a near concussion the very next day. And to top it all off, when it was all said and done Suitokku had fallen into their laps as a potential starter for the football team as well.

As all of these things reeled through his mind, the running back placed a palm onto his forehead to brace his thoughts. A light pounding reverberated through his brain. This was probably a side effect of the crash he experienced the day prior. Gently the brunette began to massage his temple in an attempt to ward off the headache. For some reason the sound of the thudding seemed to grow louder and louder. It took a few moments for the athlete to realize it was not his head pounding but rather the door to his apartment was rapping away at his conscience. A soothing voice reached his ears then, "Sena. Are you home?"

Sena rubbed his eyes once more attempting to dismiss his headache and he rose from his seat. Opening the door he found his angel standing there in one of his blue hoodies and a pair of short cut khaki shorts. The large hoody hung down over her shorts giving the impression she only was wearing the sweatshirt. Her navy blue hair was pulled back into a pony tail save for a few locks hanging over her smooth beautiful face.

The blue eyed girl could immediately sense something was amiss with her beloved and asked, "Is everything alright Sena, you don't look so good."

Sena looked up at her in a daze and shook his head gently bouncing his shock of messy hair about loosely. "Yeah… just a head ache is all."

Her brow creased with concern and she reached a hand out to brush some of his hair away from his forehead. "Oh poor baby, why don't we go in and sit down," she said lovingly as she led him inside and back to the couch. Sena eased himself into the comfortable sofa and Suzuna followed.

The blue haired beauty gently guided his forehead to her shoulder and she began to stroke his bangs away from his face slowly. Closing his eyes, Sena started to make soft approving murmurs and nuzzled a little closer. Suzuna grinned slightly and turned a light shade of pink.

"It has been a pretty long day hasn't it?" she asked quietly.

The running back nodded silently into her shoulder as they sat on the plush sofa. His inaudible response only made the cheer captain smile all the more warmly. He seemed so cute and pure as he snuggled in close to her. She carefully slid his weary head onto her lap and began to affectionately stroke his wild brunette hair. Before the beautiful teenager could even utter another sentence she could her him beginning to snore. The navy crowned cheer leader smirked and rolled her eyes.

Suzuna sighed and ran her hands through his hair saying, "This is just like the time you passed out in my arms after the Bando game. Do you remember that Sena?"

A soft moan resonated from the boy neither confirming nor denying the memory.

"I'll be honest Sena, when you did that my heart skipped a beat. It… it was the first real time I got to hold you in my arms. I know you weren't really conscience of what you were doing but still…" the blue eyed young woman trailed off. She looked upwards as though recalling that day long past when her crush had accidentally given her one of her most cherished high school memories.

The cheer captain brought her attention back to the worn out athlete snoozing away on her lap and whispered, "You know Sena, I think it was then that I really began to fall for you. Sena?"

A soft snore was the only response that was offered.

Once again the thin beauty rolled her gorgeous blue eyes and sighed. "Well even if you don't remember it, I'll never forget it. Love you Sena. Sweet dreams." And with that she continued to stroke his forehead and gently run her fingers through his hair. Perhaps it was appropriate that his angel keep watch over him. Because the coming days would be hell.

* * *

End of Book 1. Book 2 shall be started as soon as I return from Africa. I would like to thank everyone who has read Eyeshield Heart to this point, and I hope you will continue reading. A preview for the next several chapters will include but may not be limited to: Suitokku's training and the tryouts, Monta and Shidao meeting, and oh possibly a very interesting discussion between Hiruma and Dante as well :). So keep tuned everyone and once again thank you so much for reading!


	28. Training is Hell

Disclaimer: Any original characters are property of myself and myself only. Eyeshield 21 is a series created by Riichigo Inagaki and Yusuke Murata. All characters of Eyeshield 21 are property of the original creators, Shonen Jump and Viz Media. Any references to the NFL and its players are copyrighted by the NFL and credited to their respective teams.

Two large shadowy forms crept down the long dark hallway. One form was quite larger than the other but both were indeed intimidating in their size. As they enclosed on their prey one of the shadows began to emanate a menacing aura like a beast honing in on its kill. One of the phantoms reached a grizzly savage hand out and clawed at the knob to the door waiting before them. The vile creature wrenched open the portal and he and his conspirator slinked into the room of deep purple. A giant was snoring loudly on the bed before them. The first entity motioned for his partner to follow his lead as he stalked over towards the sleeping leviathan.

The first being let out a sinister chuckle and held up what looked to be an aerosol can in one hand. The second form covered his ears, knowing what would be coming. Then the more menacing of the two shadows let rip the air horn and the load piercing shriek shattered the darkness. The sleeping giant was asleep no longer and the frightened behemoth let out a loud surprised holler. Rolling out of the bed and onto the floor in shock, the massive man had to shield his eyes against the bright light that now assaulted his senses as well.

"Wakey wakey sleeping beauty!" Dante bellowed in a deep gravelly voice. "It's time for Uncle Dante and Uncle Creampuff to teach you to be a man! So get up and get dressed cuz we're leaving in 10 minutes!"

"_Who! What! What! Jesus Jumpin Christ_!" The stocky Irish-Japanese hybrid stuttered and spat in English. This brought a surprised look from both Kurita and Dante as neither of them had expected the mammoth new recruit to start cursing in an Irish accent. Suitokku brought a massive hand to his forehead and ruffled his hair before slapping the floor with his opposite hand, propelling himself to his feet as he did. He waved his colossal meat cleaver hands out in front of him with his elbows bent and grunted in Japanese, "What the hell man?"

The crimson haired maniac who had blown the air horn only seconds earlier began to guffaw heartily. "OH MAN! The look on your face HAHAHA! PRICELESS!" the tactless ape laughed.

Behind him Kurita gave the cackling red head a slight shove to the shoulder before whispering harshly, "Dante…"

Dante wiped a tear from his eye and took a deep breath. "Oh yeah, yeah right, right." The bushy browed teen straightened up like a marine and decreed, "Fish Head, today starts your training for the Enma Ligers. Position: Lineman. This will be your teacher Creampuff! I will be your advisor and secondary trainer, you can call me SIR! Do you get me Fish Head?"

Suitokku gave Dante the most incredulous look imaginable and glanced to and fro between the two "teachers" before him. "You've got to be kidding me…" he started.

However before the colossal teen could continue Dante blasted the air horn again a foot in front of his face. Suitokku shouted and tried to swat the abrasive alarm from the American's grip, but Dante was too fast, retracting his hand before the giant could succeed. A serious expression appeared on his face and the foreigner barked, "Don't get lippy with me Fish Head. If you wanna be a football player for our team you're gonna have to go through Dante's hard knocks for the next 4 days and earn it."

Behind him Kurita whispered nervously, "D…Dante take it easy…"

"No fucking way Creampuff! You don't get to decide to play football all willy nilly. It's not just a game! If he wants to become a liger he has to fucking earn it!" Dante growled at the fat lineman. Kurita shied back in his typical fashion after years of being under Hiruma's thumb. The fiery foreigner then returned his attention to the would-be lineman in front of him. A stern visage took over his persona and he stated, "Fish Head… no Suitokku."

The leviathan opened his eyes in amazement. Had Dante actually addressed him by his real name? This must be serious; the red haired American now had his full attention.

"If you are going to be a football player for us you have to dedicate yourself to the team completely. This is not a game… it is so much more than that. The moment you leave this room you will become one of two things. You can be a lineman or you can be a failure… only you can make that decision. However, if you choose to be a lineman… As a man I cannot lie to you. I will put you through hell over the next 4 days and make you earn every bit of that privilege. Knowing that, will you continue?"

Suitokku's once exasperated and irritated expression was now gone from his face, and in its place descended a determined and stern scowl. His hardened ice blue eyes stared fiercely at the two players before him. The colossus confidently brought his left fist to his chest and pounded it three times very lightly, and slowly confirmed, "I won't back down. Be it heaven or hell I will stand my ground. Like I said I didn't come all the way here for nothing. I am no coward." The confident lad then lowered his fist and added with a cocksure smirk, "Bring it on Ginger, let's see what you got!"

Dante lowered his head and snorted at the bleach haired giant's response. The red head then turned to Kurita and said with an honestly wicked smile, "Oh… I like this one. I like him a lot." He then burst into a fit of his patented howling laughter and slapped the behemoth on the back. "All right then Fish Head, let's get started!"

* * *

And so the three new companions left Dante's lofty tower and took a train to Enma. They arrived with no delay and quickly took the field after a short stop by the football clubhouse. Suitokku strode onto the gridiron with a new found sense of determination and wonder. He was wearing a simple grey turtle neck and a pair of torn and faded old blue jeans. He was wearing the same old worn down leather boots he had the day before as well and he tested the grass field with his toe as he walked by the painted yard markers.

Kurita was busily taking some gear out of a few crates he had impressively carried to the field himself from the clubroom. There were pads and jerseys of varying sizes and assortments and helmets as well. The rotund lineman was already wearing his number 77 jersey but had forgone the pads because he wouldn't need them for today's exercises. After setting out the gear and feeling satisfied that he had assembled what Suitokku would need the jelly bellied man ambled over towards the new recruit. As the two behemoths stood next to one another it was shocking to see that Kurita did not dwarf the new recruit as he did most other players. In fact if anything Suitokku almost seemed as big if not slightly bigger than Kurita, albeit not as tall. Even more frightening, the stalwart youth from the sea had barely an ounce of fat on him, he was a solid mass of muscle.

The portly chestnut topped player extended his great hand towards Suitokku and shook the fellow giant's paw. "Sorry I didn't properly introduce myself earlier. My name is Ryokan Kurita."

Suitokku returned his firm handshake with one of his own and replied, "Suitokku. So you're the guy Sena told me about."

"That's me!" he responded jovially. "So you haven't had any football experience right?"

"None at all." Suitokku responded despondently.

"I see, well then we've better get started." Kurita responded with a smile.

Over the next several hours Kurita explained most of the basic fundamentals and rules of football to the newbie player. Although it took a while for the leviathan to make sense of the bizarre sport, Suitokku felt he had gotten a grasp for the most basic concepts of his position. All the while Dante was setting up the sleds and different tracks and obstacle courses that a lineman would need to train. As Kurita was finishing up his lecture Dante meandered over to the pair of mammoths.

"All right Fish Head enough class time, let's see you put that big ass to work. Move it! Move it! Move it!" ordered the totalitarian dictator of red.

Having already gone through the necessary stretches with Kurita, and having changed into the appropriate football attire; Suitokku bounded over to where his "trainer" had indicated he should go. Dante was standing on the back end of the blocking sled which lineman and some other key positions used for strength training. The "man" shaped pads on the front of the sled that received the abuse from blockers were faded and a few were broken to some degree mostly thanks to Kurita's immense strength. Suitokku waited in front of the odd looking contraption for Dante's instructions.

Dante was wearing a neon lime green t-shirt which disgusted the eyes and a pair of navy blue gym shorts. He also had a whistle strapped around his neck and was wearing a pair of broad lens sunglasses. The hairy American leaned over the royal blue pads which numbered three across and slapped one of them firmly a couple of times with his palm. "Alright muscles, just like Creampuff showed you. Now hit me!" Dante shouted and then blew the whistle harshly.

Suitokku took a deep breath and spread his legs readying himself in the stance that Kurita had shown him. He bent over and placed one hand onto the ground, resting his knuckles against the earth. When Dante blew the whistle a second time the leviathan leapt into action. The colossus slammed both of his massive palms into the "armpits" of the central pad and he began to grind his legs into the turf. Suitokku let out a mighty growl and began to push the sled several yards down field. After going about ten yards Dante blew the whistle again indicating that the mammoth teen should stop. The icy blue eyed giant responded to the shrill noise and ended his march. He took a step back and looked up to Dante and back to Kurita for any kind of conformation that he hadn't messed up the exercise.

Kurita was clapping about twelve yards away saying, "Great job Suitokku! Just like that!"

This brought a smile to the youth's face and he pumped his fist triumphantly. However he caught a clipboard to the side of the head for his mirth.

"Wipe that smirk of your face Fish Head, anyone with muscles like yours can do this exercise. But its gonna take more than that to be a great lineman. Now, 30 pushups for laughing on the job!" Dante bellowed angrily. "A lineman's gotta have a face of tenacity and power! So every time I see your ass smile or laughing around for the next 4 days on this grid iron your gonna run or do pushups!"

"Kurita laughs and smiles all the time!" Suitokku argued.

"He's proven he can be a lineman that way! Until you prove me otherwise your gonna do it this way. Now quit bitching and drop and give me 40!"

"You said 30!" The behemoth retorted.

"50! You want some more?" Dante rebutted with a harsh smile.

Suitokku just snorted with a scowl and began doing push-ups.

* * *

By the end of the day both Kurita and Dante had put the poor teen from the sea through hell. Kurita focused on teaching him the basic techniques that every lineman needed to know as far as footwork and hand techniques as well as slowly teaching him the rules of the game along the way. Dante on the other hand continuously badgered the leviathan with every mistake, making him run dozens and dozens of laps or making him do pushups until he nearly puked. The fiery foreigner was unrelenting in his scrutiny of the new recruit, eyeing him like a hawk throughout every exercise. The trio remained on the field for almost 12 hours before deciding to call it quits.

And in the following two days that strenuous pace did not diminish in the least. If anything it had gotten faster and even more brutal. Each day Suitokku returned to his purple chambers exhausted and defeated. Kurita was the kind and nurturing teacher and Dante was the ruthless enforcer. But perhaps that is what he needed to become a lineman worthy of making the team. Kurita taught him and Dante enforced those guidelines and rules relentlessly.

The giant sprawled out on his back across the plush bed and melted like jello into the soft mattress. It was the end of his third day of training and he was completely wiped out. He hadn't even gotten a shower after the ridiculously long day of hard work. He was far too tired to allow for even that luxury. Never had he been pushed to his limits as far as the last few days. He knew he had the stamina to last long and relentless shifts on the fishing boat, but that didn't involve running laps. For what Suitokku had made up for in upper body stamina and power, his legs were definitely lacking in their longevity for dashing about. Kurita had told him that he would get used to it and the running would get easier but for now just to focus on technique and power to wow the judges in two days time.

Suitokku sighed and rubbed his bleary eyes with his massive bear paw hands and rolled onto his side. Regardless of what hell he would go through tomorrow on his last day of training, the only thing that consumed his thoughts now was sleep. Within two minutes of rolling onto his side the giant teen began to snore loudly and drift off into his dreams.

* * *

While Suitokku was already slumbering away in his bedroom Dante and Kurita sat around the magnificent marble island in the American's impeccable kitchen. Both of the accomplished athletes had already showered and were now sitting down to a well deserved meal of chicken and mashed potatoes that had been beautifully prepared by Winstead moments earlier. As the two teammates gorged themselves on the scrumptious eatables that sat before them Dante raised a question to Kurita.

"What're your thoughts on Fish Head?"

Kurita looked up from the gourmet dish which he was about to take a sizable bite from and closed his gaping maw in thought. The rotund lineman rubbed his flabby chin in thought and nodded solemnly before saying, "Suitokku-kun has all the physical attributes to make a great lineman for sure."

"But does he have the intangibles?" Dante said coolly without emotion as he sat motionless at the island staring at the empty plate before him.

Kurita nodded again thoughtfully before saying, "That's not something we can really gage until he actually plays I think, but I will at least say he has shown us a lot of determination thus far in keeping up with your hellish training."

Dante just nodded quietly, his bushy red eyebrows furrowed in deep thought. He tapped his finger on the island before saying slowly, "Mayhaps it would be for the best to let him rest tomorrow so he doesn't collapse in front of the judges eh?"

Kurita smiled at Dante's mercy and agreed enthusiastically, "Yes! That would probably be for the best!"

The hairy foreigner only murmured passively, "Hmm… it would probably be wise to let his muscles recover too… If we put him through another day of my training he'll just look like a pile of tapioca pudding at the tryouts…"

The rotund lineman was busily stuffing his face but nodded in agreement. While the marshmallow man ate Dante just stared into the granite counter before him, or rather beyond it, lost somewhere deep in thought. He tapped his finger lightly on its glossy surface as if calculating something, or out of boredom, it was hard to tell with the American. After a few more moments of bored deliberation Dante padded his palm onto the flecked grey rock counter and said, "Well in that case you might as well head home and get some rest yourself Crème Puff."

"You sure?" Kurita asked with a mouthful of succulent chicken.

"Yeah you got some new linemen coming in a few days during the tryouts right? Take tomorrow to prepare for them or whatever. I can handle the rookie." Dante said plainly still tapping the surface of the granite island.

Kurita swallowed and nodded with a smile. Although it would not occur to him until later that it was odd that Dante had referred to Suitokku as a rookie when he was one as well. "Alright then," the cherubically faced lineman said wiping his mouth with one of the fine cloth napkins provided for their meal, "I'll see you two in a couple of days then. Tell Suitokku-kun I said good luck for him."

"Will do Crème Puff, will do." The hairy foreigner trailed off passively still tapping away at the polished rock counter top.

Shortly after the colossal tub of lard left the lofty tower, Dante rose from the kitchen island and took his dishes to one of the stainless steel sinks. He quickly rinsed the plates and placed them into the dishwasher that was tucked away under the immaculate granite counter. The chiseled teen then leisurely made his way down the corridor of doorways and passed by several of them including the sleeping chambers of his new cohort. Dante paused for a moment by the passage leading to Suitokku's room and smiled as he heard loud snores echoing from within. He fleetingly thought of getting the air horn once more but decided he had put the newcomer through enough… for now.

Instead the bushy browed athlete made his way to one of the final few doors towards the back end of the ridiculously long hallway. The door looked no different from the others, save for the fact that there was a sign on the outside of the depicting a skull and crossbones. Dante reached a gnarled hairy hand towards the doorknob and the mechanism turned with a clank. The same hand reached for the light switch and flicked the device. A few fluorescent lights illuminated the room and revealed the secrets within.

The walls were plastered with posters of various rock bands ranging from Alice Cooper to Metallica and all the way down to ZZ Top. A large king sized bed was tucked into the corner just to the left of the door way. It was covered in black and grey checkered covers and pillows made out of fine and expensive fabrics. To the right side of the door the room extended roughly 12 feet to the wall and from there the room extended inward another 18 feet rounding off the large domicile.

Dante turned right and approached a large glass terrarium that was roughly six feet wide by four feet deep by eight feet tall. The transparent enclosure contained a mass of interlinking branches and natural foliage. Its floor was covered in rich dark brown bark shavings and had a massive ceramic water bowl. There were stacks of logs which created natural hiding cavities placed strategically on the ground of the enclosure as well. On top of the cage a bright UVB bulb shined down on the large mahogany colored serpent who was basking calmly on one of the enclosure's upper branches.

The red headed teen undid the latch on the glass door on the front of the terrarium and slide the glass open. He reached in and said, "Hey darling, did you miss daddy the last couple days? Thatsa good girl, c'mere." Calypso lazily extended her head towards the offered arm awaiting her and the shiny serpent slithered her way around the outstretched limb. She slowly climbed up the expanse of her master's arm and around his broad powerful shoulders.

With his reptilian companion slung around his neck the bushy browed teenager trotted over to a large ebony desk with a laptop and about a million shelves filled with CD's of every kind of music on and around the piece of furniture. A few feet away and adjacent to the desk was a super large screen television sitting across from the king sized bed. In front of the massive television lay a single black bean bag chair and the floor was littered with what seemed like thousands of DVDs in clear cases. The discs were all labeled with a particular football game, many of which adorned with monikers of local teams in the area for the last several years.

Dante plopped down into the massive black bean bag chair and grabbed a remote control lying next to the amorphous blob. He clicked on the television and pressed play. The DVD player whirred and after a few moments of loading the image came to life. On the screen a football game resumed and the hairy teenager went back to work. Seemingly out of nowhere he had a notepad in one hand and was searching for pen with the other. The free hand crawled around on the floor for a few anxious moments before finding it could not find the pen where it had left it. The hand's owner grew irritated and he growled, "Dammit where the hell did I put that pen?"

A forked tongue tickled his ear and the American turned to look at python now staring him in the eye. Calypso looked at him curiously her tongue still flicking in and out.

"What?" the hairy teenager asked.

Calypso just flicked her tongue and stared hypnotically into her master's eyes.

"Is there something on my face?" Dante asked crossing his eyes playfully.

The python flicked her black tongue once more and poked her snout into Dante's ear again.

"Whaaaaat? What is it?" Dante asked while trying to hold back some ticklish laughter. He brought his free hand up to his ear and found the pen he had been searching for. He must have stuck it there during training today at some point and forgot about it. Dante laughed at his forgetfulness and gave Calypso a thankful pat. "And who says snakes aren't smart."

He quickly took the pen and began jotting down some notes while watching the game on the screen. This particular game film was on one of the opponents they would likely face this coming season. He glanced absently at the pile of finished game films tossed absently to the right side of the television and then to the still seemingly insurmountable pile of unwatched game footage to the left. Dante sighed and rubbed his eyes. Calypso nuzzled in under his chin and tickled him with her tongue, drawing a contented and thankful chuckle from her master. "Ah Calypso what would I do without you?" He sighed again and muttered, "Watching all this game film is draining even for me..." Dante trailed off.

A light bulb went off in his head. "You know… maybe I won't let the lummox just laze around tomorrow. After all he wants to be a student right?" Dante said with a malicious grin. Calypso just stared blankly into the hairy American's eyes. "Yeaaaah… I think ol' Fish Head needs a crash course in football 101 emphasis on hours of mind numbing game film. Haha! If he can live through that too, then I might, just MIGHT give him a better nick name. What do you think Calypso?"

The massive carpet python just stared back blankly and flicked her forked black tongue.


	29. Film and Bets

Disclaimer: Any original characters are property of myself and myself only. Eyeshield 21 is a series created by Riichigo Inagaki and Yusuke Murata. All characters of Eyeshield 21 are property of the original creators, Shonen Jump and Viz Media. Any references to the NFL and its players are copyrighted by the NFL and credited to their respective teams.

A soft knock at the door awoke the slumbering behemoth. The tired titan raised a groggy eyebrow at the almost melodic sound of soft rapping. He rolled over onto one arm, hauling himself upright. The stocky teen found he was still wearing the same nasty sweat soaked clothing he was wearing the day before. A quick sniff at his underarm was more than enough to shock him to his senses. His nose curled in disgust and he blew out a sharp breath of disapproval.

Again a gentle tapping resounded from his chamber door. Suitokku rubbed his weary brow and ran his sausage sized fingers through his messy bleach blond hair. He swung his tree trunk legs over the edge of the violet bed and brought himself steadily to his feet. The giant sleepily lumbered over to the door and answered the beaconing call.

When he opened the door Winstead was standing there with his hands resting behind his back. "Good morning Mr. Fish Head. I do apologize for waking you but I thought you might like a spot of breakfast?"

"Oh Winstead… Yeah sure." Suitokku said slowly. He leaned out the doorway and looked cautiously down the hallway. It was eerily silent. After a short pause the giant asked quietly, "Uhh... where's Dante?"

"The young master is going over game footage in his chambers. I was told to serve you breakfast and to send you there after you have had a shower." Winstead replied courtly.

The giant pursed his lips in confusion. "Wait… so… no training today?"

"None to my knowledge Mr. Fish Head." The wrinkly old gentleman replied.

Suitokku eyed the old crone suspiciously but found no deception in the folds of time that wrinkled their way across his face. Still keeping a skeptical eye on the Klausen family butler Suitokku took a hesitant step into the hallway while closing the door behind him.

"Right this way Mr. Fish Head." Winstead said politely as he held out his hand towards the kitchen.

On the center island of the granite dominated kitchen Winstead had laid out a meal of fine ham and scrambled eggs, as well as toast, three kinds of juice, fresh milk, and an assortment of jellies and jams. Drool started to literally drip from Suitokku's open maw and he had to wipe away the saliva to save his manners. He sat down quickly and happily heaved heavy helpings onto his plate and began to inhale the delicious food.

After finishing his third helping the massive teen thanked Winstead for the meal and went back to his room to grab some clothes for his shower. As usual the few clothes that he had were neatly folded away into the dresser in his room, courtesy of Winstead. Suitokku made a mental note to really thank the old man before he left his care.

The hot steamy water felt so rejuvenating after sleeping in one's own filth over night. He let his sore muscles relax against the stream and sighed contentedly. When he finished drying off he dressed quickly into a pair of frayed holey jeans and a faded old forest green t-shirt with a picture of a fishing boat on it and the words: "Cabin Boy," across the chest. Suitokku looked into the full length mirror on his bedroom wall and rotated his head to one side. His neck cracked audibly with the movement and the giant moaned sorely. He rubbed his neck with his massive hand and grimaced slightly at the soreness radiating from his muscles.

The leviathan turned his head the other way and again, his neck crackled like a set of firecrackers and he sighed. He left his bedroom and paused a moment before taking a deep breath and looking down the hall to the skull and crossbones door. The stalwart youth approached the gateway to hell and reluctantly began to knock but the door opened before his hand could even touch it.

Dante stood in the doorway with Calypso draped around his shoulders like some sequin serpent. Suitokku immediately backpedaled to the opposite side of the hallway and raised his hands defensively. The bushy browed foreigner shot him a dirty look a muttered, "Pussy…" before taking a step into the hallway.

"I'm going to get some coffee. You want anything ophidophobe?" Dante grumpily asked with a backwards glance as he headed towards the kitchen.

Suitokku was frozen with primal fear for another second before he registered the question. "Huh? Um yeah… sure thanks… What the hell is an ophidophobe?"

"Means you're afraid of snakes you big wuss!" Dante grumbled before sneering under his breath, "Christ…" and he turned away.

Suitokku waited patiently for the hairy trainer to return. "_At least it's normal to be afraid of snakes…"_ he thought, the image of Calypso making him shudder as he did.

Dante returned shortly holding a larger steel thermos and a four pack of blue amp energy drinks. He chucked the thermos at Suitokku and said, "Think fast!"

The leviathan was caught off guard and juggled the thermos between his massive hands before securing the coffee filled cylinder. He shot Dante an annoyed look but shied away when he saw Calypso extend her knobby head towards his face.

The American rolled his eyes at the flinching lineman and patted the python gently. "Now now girl try not to frighten the little school girl over there. _She_ might pee _her_ pants."

Suitokku was not amused and scowled at the brazen linebacker. "I'm not scared!" growled the blonde haired teen.

"Well you sure could have fooled me sweet cheeks. Now come on… I got a different kind of lesson for you today puss cake." Dante cooed as he entered his bedroom while waving his hand for Suitokku to follow.

Suitokku cautiously entered the linebacker's chamber a few precarious steps behind the massive pythons reach. The leviathan had to admit he wasn't too surprised by the clutter of the room when he entered. He had a feeling the haggard looking American would keep his personal domicile in a similar fashion. The only things that were arranged in any order were the shelves of CD's and DVD's that lined the wall near the desk. Other than that many more DVD's were scattered all about the right side of the large television and there were so many posters on the walls and ceiling it was hard to find a single inch of space that wasn't pasted with a rock band's faces or logos. A cursory glance around showed him the beast's bed and a guitar with some large amps to the left side of the TV against the wall. The other side of the room had the desk and what he assumed to be Calypso's tank. Other than that the massive room seemed rather devoid of anything else save a pair of pair of bean bag chairs and a single door on the wall to the right hand side of the doorway.

"I take it you're a rock and roll kind of guy." Suitokku stated rather than asked.

Dante just stopped in the center of the room and turned towards the potential lineman swinging Calypso in his wake. The hairy foreigner looked around at the posters that seemed to eat away at the walls and shrugged. "Yeah I guess you could say that, but I listen to about anything that's not country."

"Really? Why's that?" Suitokku asked curiously.

"Cuz country sucks that's why…" Dante answered matter-o-factly.

The mammoth teen just let it go mouthing a drawn out "_Ohhh."_

"But never mind that, come here and have a seat." Dante said evenly, pointing at one of the two bean bag chairs where there had been only one the night before. The freshly showered colossus obliged, collapsing into the massive amoeba like chair with and audible _whumpf _sound_._ Dante did likewise and plopped down into his own shape shifting seat and leaned towards Suitokku.

Calypso instantly made the giant teen recoil and Dante grew irritated once more. The red headed American barked, "Enough with that shit! Calypso is harmless! If you're pissing yourself over her you are NEVER gonna last on the football field! Now grow some balls and deal with it because Calypso isn't going anywhere today, so you're just going to have to learn to love her company or go home now." Dante ended emphatically by shooting a finger toward the door and holding it there tensely.

Suitokku winced as if he had been bitten by the python and he looked at the snake uncertainly. He took a deep breath and looked between the serpent and her master. Calypso just stared back passively and flicked her forked tongue. Dante on the other hand stared back intensely and with strong emotion. If Suitokku hadn't known any better he could have sworn Dante looked like an ogre from ancient lore. The leviathan again glanced back and forth between the reptile and the demon and gulped.

"Y…you're SURE she's not going to bite?" He managed to ask.

"Of course she's not going to bite! She's never bitten a damn soul in her life! And I've had her for twelve years! Now apologize to her for being such a pussy and pet her!"

"No." Suitokku sternly said without any hesitation.

"Whatever. You'll learn to love her eventually. Twinkle Toes was the same way when they first met, but at least now even that little shrimp will at least pet her." Dante chided.

"He didn't seem too keen about it the other day…" Suitokku prodded.

"Eh it's just been a while…" the foreigner stated and waved his hand as if it was nothing but a formality.

"So what am I doing today besides dodging your snake Gingerbread Man?"

"Hoho! Nice one Fish Head! For that one you get to watch even more game film and take even more notes." The American laughed maliciously.

"So wait… let me get this straight. All we're doing today is watching football games and taking notes?" Suitokku asked doubtingly.

Dante just grinned his evil grin which peeled his mouth from ear to ear. He looked like a demonic Cheshire cat with a beard. "That is correct."

"No running?" The leviathan asked with heavy suspicion in his voice.

"No running." The demon repeated.

"And this is training? This is supposed to help me be a better lineman?"

"You can go run if you want." Dante teased waving his hand towards the door.

Suitokku immediately began waving his hands in front of him to dissuade that suggestion.

"No?" Dante asked innocently.

"No that's ok. It's just… I have trouble understanding how watching a game is training." said the confused goliath.

"Ah that is where many a fine athlete makes their mistake. When you first came to me, you said you wanted to play football to go to school. And while I hope you grow to change that decision I will merit that to be a great football player you do need to be a good student, of the game that is." Dante paused for a second thinking. "Do you know what the difference between a good athlete and a great athlete is, all physical attributes being equal?"

Suitokku thought for a moment and rubbed his broad chin. "Spirit?"

Dante smiled and snorted under his breath. "Yes that does indeed help I will give you that. But one of the main differences between the good athlete and the great one is how much time they spend learning the game both on and _off_ the field."

The leviathan's eyes widened slightly at the Americans speech, finally realizing where he was going with this.

"You see it doesn't matter how physically gifted you are. When you finally meet your physical match on the field your only weapon comes down to which one of you knows more about the other and who knows more about the game. That's why even though I'm about as gifted as they come athletically; I never take that for granted. I work my ass to the grindstone ON and OFF the field to make sure I AM the BEST. And if you want to be the best I suggest you do the same. ESPECIALLY since you only have barely three days of football experience to your name, greenhorn." The hairy American preached as he gave Suitokku a serious and willful look.

The massive blonde found himself nodding at the American's logic. "Wow, I hate to admit it but that's really impressive. This sport must mean a lot to you to dedicate that much of your time to it." the stalwart youth said in awe.

"You have no idea big guy. Football means everything to me. I honestly don't know what I'd do without it." Dante said proudly.

Suitokku simply nodded in admiration and took the notebook that his hairy mentor was now holding out towards him, being careful to avoid Calypso all the while. Dante resumed the game he had paused during his coffee run and cracked open one of his blue energy drinks. Throughout the game the red haired American gave Suitokku pointers and advice on what to look for. Suitokku was surprised to find a less intimidating and more helpful Dante when it came to film study. The normally brash and abrasive teen was actually very academic and informative during the lesson. He was really quite animated and enthusiastic about the games, often making comments and pointing out areas of concern and interest for the rookie. The oceanic leviathan had to admit that he was actually having some fun.

The two teens watched a few more games over the next several hours. Every now and then Dante would pause or rewind the tape to make a note here or there or to explain something of particular importance to the giant beside him. And despite some of the obvious tension that had been festering between Suitokku and Dante over the last few days the two of them had even began to be chummy.

As the hours passed Suitokku found that his curiosity began to bubble about uncontrollably and the giant asked, "So Gingerbread Man… what made you decide to play football anyway?"

The hairy red head took another swig from his can of amp and lowered his eyes. He grunted to clear his throat. "Just another sport to conquer I guess. At least that's what it was at first…" Dante paused and finished off his can of blue dew. "All the other sports I played, whether it was baseball, basketball, soccer, rugby, hockey; you name it I played it growing up. I was good at them all and no one could touch me."

"Until football?" Suitokku asked intuitively.

Dante held up a finger and waved it like a revolver. "Bingo my massive padre. All those other sports were just child's play for me. But football…" the American paused for dramatic effect, "Now that my friend was a sport, and I mean a _real_ sport. It had everything I wanted, everything I craved in a contest between men. Power, speed, tactics, a real battle sport ya know? Plus getting to actually hit people on purpose and get away with it was fun too HAHA!"

"Alright, I guess that makes sense…" Suitokku responded sagely. Although the answer made sense coming from the American, the young leviathan couldn't help but feel Dante was holding something back. "SO football was a challenge for you and you stuck with it because of that?"

The red haired beast crushed his empty can of amp and chucked it unceremoniously behind him and into a trash can across the room without any effort. "Well I suppose you could say that… It didn't start to feel really challenging and fun until Twinkle Toes came to play at Notre Dame."

"Oh yeah Sena did mention he played in America" Suitokku recalled.

"Yeah he came in an exchange overseas something or other. Anyway until that point the only people that had been a challenge had been Clifford but we weren't allowed to actually hit him in practice because he was the quarterback so I couldn't really gage him. But Twinkle Toes… that crafty little bastard. The first snap from scrimmage he ran it by all of us for a touchdown. He completely blew by me!" Dante paused with awe and wonder.

The American continued, "No one had ever done that to me. And you can bet I was pissed beyond all reason… but at the same time I felt… I don't know… exhilarated? From that point on he and I formed a little rivalry and friendship in camp and on the field. I'd win some battles he'd win others but I found that through it all I found that playing football was the most fun I have ever had."

"So you're saying that Sena was the reason you stuck with football?" Suitokku asked.

Dante merely brushed off the comment saying, "Not really but I guess you could say he made it better, made it more fun."

"Huh."

"What?"

"No… I was just thinking it was kind of ironic. Sena is the reason we both got a real taste of football." Suitokku said thoughtfully.

Dante began to laugh snidely. "Hahaha! Look at you saying you've had a real taste haha! You haven't even been in a real practice yet but you think you're a football player haha!"

"Well you know what I mean!" Suitokku said shoving the American in the shoulder playfully but still sending him deeper into his bean bag chair anyway.

The bushy browed foreigner adjusted himself in the fuzzy bean bag chair. Then a thought came across his mind as though he remembered something. "Oh yeah that reminds me! Speaking of the shrimp we're going to go grab some dinner with him and Squirt in a couple of hours." Dante chirped as he remembered the event.

"We are?" Suitokku asked half surprised half curiously optimistic.

"Yeah you still have to fill out some last minute paper work and stuff and Twinkle Toes has all of it anyway. So this gives us an excuse to get away from the house. Besides after 13 hours of game film study even I need a break."

"Alright that sounds… wait wait… 13 hours? We've only watched three games." The leviathan stated clearly confused.

"No… _you've_ only watched three games… I've been awake since you went to sleep last night." Dante said and then stretched his arms backwards into an exaggerated yawn.

Suitokku scrunched his face up in confusion and disbelief at his hairy compatriot. "_He was up all night after going through that brutal practice yesterday since six in the morning? No it would have been even earlier for him so he could be up and ready to harass me by six. That's… that's at least 32 hours without sleep." _thought the massive teen. The marine leviathan suddenly felt a tinge of uneasiness creep up his spine. _"This guy's not human…"_

"How are you not dead on your feet?" The giant asked strait out.

"Oh I do this all the time." Dante replied as though it were nothing.

"That can't be healthy man." Suitokku reproached.

"Probably not, but I manage." shrugged the American.

"Yeah, but…"

"Adadada don't but me Fish Head. You just worry about wowing those judges tomorrow. Don't worry about me now go get ready for dinner." Dante said as he practically shoved the giant out the door. Suitokku began to protest but before he could succeed the hairy American had already pushed him out the door and slammed it behind him. The leviathan was left in the long corridor to wonder about his friend and his self induced insomnia.

* * *

Within the hour Suitokku and Dante were both heading off for Point Crest. The two beef cakes were to meet Sena and Suzuna at Lone Star's in a few minutes. Dante was wearing a pair of blue jeans with about a million pockets lining each pant leg. He was also wearing a red flannel shirt with sleeves cut off at the elbows. His beige leather cowboy boots clacked noisily on the sidewalk as he trotted alongside his maritime companion who was dressed in the same attire he had been in earlier that day.

They arrived in front of Lone Star's and found the young couple awaiting them. Suzuna was wearing a pink cami underneath a thin wispy blue blouse that buttoned just underneath her breasts and a pair of black skinny leg jeans. Sena was clad in a bi colored polo that was white from the chest down and navy blue across the shoulders and upper back and a pair of blue jeans.

Dante was the first to spot them and hollered, "He-y! Twinkle Toes! Squirt!"

The football ace and his girlfriend turned towards the hoarse voice and Suzuna smiled widely. The cheer captain shouted "Chewy! Suitokkun!" and she ran over and crushed Dante in an emphatic hug. "How have you been? It's been so long!"

"Oh- you know same shit different day." The hairy foreigner laughed as he returned the hug.

While his girlfriend was hugging their hairy pal Sena offered Suitokku his hand. The giant returned the brunettes handshake in earnest, his giant bear paw easily engulfing the smaller athlete's hand. Sena smiled and asked, "So… surviving?"

Suitokku smirked and squeezed Sena's hand a little tighter then replied through gritted teeth, "More or less…" The giant held that tension for a moment and when Sena began to turn slightly pale he let out a hearty laugh. "Yeah I'm doing ok. But thanks for asking."

The brunette simply nodded and sighed in relief. He began to say something else but was cut off when Suzuna jumped in front of him and wrapped the behemoth in a gleeful hug. "Eeeei! Suitokkun! How are you? Is Chewy treating you ok?"

Suitokku seemed surprised by the hug and hesitantly patted the navy haired beauty's back in return. He coughed a reply, "I'm alright, really." Then he shot a snide look towards the American an added, "Besides… Gingerbread Man's not so bad."

Suzuna released the hug and looked at Suitokku with a raised eyebrow. It didn't take long for her confused look to turn into a bought of unrestricted giggling when she realized who the leviathan was referring to. "Hahaha, oh that's too good. Now Chewy has two nicknames hee hee!" Even Sena had began to laugh honestly at his friend's new moniker.

Dante crossed his arms and huffed, "Yeah yeah haw haw very funny. Now let's go I'm starving here!"

This only caused the three teens to laugh all the more as they followed their hairy friend into the steak house. The hostess quickly seated the four teens at a table near the open fire pit. The aromas of beef and chicken wafted towards their seats and the teens all began to salivate at the tantalizing smells. They all placed their drink orders and continued to peruse the menu for their meal selections. The attractive female server asked, "Will this be separate checks?"

Before anyone could speak up Dante said, "No just one. It's on me guys so go nuts."

"Are you sure Dante? I don't mind covering Suzuna and myself…" Sena began to offer but Dante raised his hand to silence him.

"Come on Twinkle Toes you've seen my house. I'm pretty sure I can swing it. So get whatever you guys want." He winked. Then he nudged Suitokku hard in the shoulder and said, "Even if it's ridiculous."

Suitokku glanced Dante's way slyly and smirked. Dante raised an eyebrow and said, "What?"

The maritime monster just kept smirking and pointed to a large sign hanging above the pit. Dante looked at the sign and snorted in amusement. The advertisement depicted a food challenge. If you could eat a 72 oz steak, a massive baked potato, a side vegetable of your choice, and a roll all in under an hour's time the meal would be free and you'd get your picture on the wall of fame. If you failed however to eat the nearly 5 pound course you had to pay a rather large bill and have your photo put on the wall of shame to forever show your failure.

The hairy linebacker gave Suitokku a cock sure look. "You think you can handle all that big guy?"

"Oh I know I can, but I don't think you're man enough for it." Suitokku said smugly while sipping away at his coke.

"Is that a challenge Fish Head?" Dante retorted while raising his voice.

"Damn right it is Gingerbread!" the leviathan shouted and slapped the table.

Sena and Suzuna unconsciously edged back into their chairs. The two monsters sitting across from them were now staring each other in the eye, their faces nearly touching. Both of them had a wicked confident smile on their faces. Suzuna glanced at her boyfriend and indicated that maybe he should do something. She jutted out her chin towards the two violently escalating beasts across the table and grunted slightly. Sena didn't get the hint at first and she got irritated and elbowed him in the arm. "Oww!" Sena murmured as he rubbed the assaulted appendage. His girlfriend gave him another look that said _"Do something about this!"_ Sena raised his hands defensively as if to signal _"Ok, Ok!"_

"Hey guys…" Sena began to say but as soon as he spoke the two immediately turned their attention on him.

Both of them barked simultaneously, "What! You want in on this too!"

"Ack! N..No!" stammered the stuttering brunette. But before he could continue the waitress returned.

"Have you all decided what you would like?" she asked politely.

Dante and Suitokku both barked, "3 of the 72 oz steak challenges! Vegetable: carrots!"

Without batting an eye the waitress jotted down the order and then turned to Suzuna to take hers, "And you ma'am?"

Suzuna managed to stammer in her surprise at the current situation, "Oh uh the 6 oz sirloin with a baked potato, extra sour cream please."

And once again before Sena could protest or argue the waitress turned on her heels and headed for the kitchen to place the order. The wild haired brunette stared at his teammates incredulously. He began to stutter accusingly and the two monsters looked at him and asked, "What?"

"I can't eat all that! What were you thinking!" whined the runner.

Suitokku shrugged sheepishly and Dante just picked his nose. The hairy American removed his pinky finger from his nostril and said, "Hey you wanted in."

"No I DIDN'T! You guys just threw me in!" he complained.

"Oops." The red head said innocently with a shrug.

Sena put his face down onto the table and covered the back of his head with his hands in defeat and moaned. Suzuna began to rub his back sympathetically and glared at the two boys across the table.

Dante just huffed, "Oh quit your bitching, I'm paying for it anyway either way so what's the big deal?"

The running back tilted his head up and rested his chin on his fore arms and said, "Right… but that still doesn't help the fact that we have to sit at the challenge table and do it in front of everyone…" and then hid his face again in shame.

"But that's half the fun!" Dante bellowed with laughter. All the while Suitokku was sitting silently with a stoic look on his face. "Oh yeah before we forget, give Fish Head those papers he needs to do. Hopefully he can get them done before the food gets here."

Sena sat up and stuttered, "Oh yeah, o..of course." And he turned to rummage through his bag. He quickly found the necessary forms and handed them across the table to the behemoth. Suitokku read through them over the next few minutes and filled them out as quickly as he could. In the mean time Dante and the others made small talk about the try outs tomorrow and what to expect. Before long the red headed devil grew mischievous and as soon as Suitokku finished filling out the forms he nudged the colossus.

"Care to make this challenge a little more interesting?" he asked deviously.

"You mean like a bet?" the intuitive giant asked.

"Yeah… exactly like a bet… whoever finishes the meal first wins, whoever is last loses." Dante began to chuckle devilishly.

"Hey now…" Sena began, suddenly realizing this could end up very bad for him.

"Alright so what do you want if you win?" Suitokku asked

"Hmmm… let's see… oh I know. If I win you have to hold Calypso for an hour." Dante said as a wicked grin spread across his grisly face.

Suitokku's face soured into a scowl of disapproval and malice. He looked at the muscular American and rebutted, "Fine. But if I win you have to shave your head and wear a maids costume to the try outs tomorrow."

Dante shot an equally sour look back at the leviathan and growled, "Fine!" They both stared at each other a second more, simmering the whole time. After a moment more they both turned their attention on the running back. Dante cracked an evil smile and Suitokku frowned sternly.

Sena blanched and stammered, "Oh n..no I want no p…part of this!"

"It's too late for that Twinkle Toes! You're in hip deep now." Dante mused.

"Yeah so what do you want if you win?" Suitokku said with all seriousness.

"I want to not be involved in any of your future bets!" Sena shouted!

"That's a pretty lame wager, but I think we can take you so ok. But if I win and you lose you have to wear a chicken suit to the try outs tomorrow. What about you Fish Head, what does Twinkle Toes have to do if you win?" Dante said and Suitokku just nodded.

Suitokku cupped his squared jaw with his massive hand and thought for a moment before saying, "Well I guess I owe Sena a lot so I can't be too hard on him. Hmmm. No offense Sena I don't think you stand a chance against us. But I'm fairly sure I can beat Gingerbread's time here. If I win he doesn't have to do Dante's bet… but Dante still has to do his." Suitokku finished the statement by thumbing in Dante's direction.

"No way Fish Head, the winner gets to decide what the loser does not second place." Dante protested

"Says who? The winner gets to dictate the bet that's how it works!" Suitokku retorted.

"Not where I come from!" argued the fiery American.

"Well we're in Japan not the States cherry head!" the leviathan growled.

"What's that supposed to mean!" the disgruntled red head barked.

Sena sat there jaw agape, hands tensely poised in front of him on the table as they argued. He wasn't going to get out of this no matter how hard he tried. Suzuna could only rub his back to try and console her poor boyfriend. "It's ok Sena, I have faith in you. You can do it!" she tried to comfort him. This of course only caused Sena to laugh helplessly.

"Thanks Suzuna-chan but I don't think any amount of support is going to help me beat those monsters…" frowned the running back…

Before long it was time for the manic munching challenge and the waitress announced the three competitors. The three challengers were all now sitting at the contest table. Suitokku and Dante both looked confident and hungry as they held their knives and forks in hand. Sena on the other hand looked miserable and unsteady. As the waitress denounced that all three of the teens had to finish the massive meat portion and all the trimmings in an hour or less Suzuna sat at a nearby table and whistled her support.

"Come one Sena you can do it!" shouted the blue eyed beauty.

Sena grumbled with embarrassment. Not only was he going to lose the bet by a mile but he was going to do it in front of an audience too. He mumbled under his breath, "You better win Suitokku…"


	30. The Lightspeed Chicken Tryouts

Disclaimer: Any original characters are property of myself and myself only. Eyeshield 21 is a series created by Riichigo Inagaki and Yusuke Murata. All characters of Eyeshield 21 are property of the original creators, Shonen Jump and Viz Media. Any references to the NFL and its players are copyrighted by the NFL and credited to their respective teams.

It was the morning of the tryouts at Enma University. The sky was the purest of blues and the sun shined brightly onto the grid iron as a few white fluffy clouds hazed lazily in the air around the orange orb. Juri and other Kotaro were on the field busily helping Kurita and Unsui set up the obstacle courses that would test the new recruits speed and agility. Mizumachi and Riku had gone to retrieve the seven hopeful athletes and the athletic committee representatives from the Enma bus station that would be arriving in about twenty minutes. Monta had run off to grab extra batteries for the team camera so as to make sure they'd record every possible second of the potential rookies. Dante was scheduled to bring the last minute recruit to round out the eight competitors, and would arrive shortly. However the team captain was nowhere to be found and neither was his beautiful navy haired cheer captain either.

Kotaro was the first to speak his mind. "Where the hell is Sena? The team captain is supposed to be here to organize the noobs! So not COOL!" the suave kicker complained.

Kurita was quick to his minute friend's defense saying, "I'm sure that Sena is on his way. Maybe he got stuck in traffic?"

"He walks to campus!" Kotaro retorted haughtily.

Juri approached him and smacked him upside the head. "Shut up you whiner, he'll be here. Suzuna texted me saying they were on their way." The blue haired team manager scolded.

The slick haired kicker pouted, "Yeah… well… he should have been here earlier…"

Unsui simply shook his head at the characteristic impatience and stupidity of Kotaro and continued about his work. Kurita smiled warmly as usual and helped the nearly bald quarterback set up the pads for the blocking drills. Kotaro grumpily went about setting up cones for the agility drills and Juri supervised him to make sure he didn't screw it up. As the crew just about finished up with their last minute adjustments to the skills test obstacles a pair of characters approached the field.

"Oi! Looks like we arrived right on time, all the work's done HAHAHA!" guffawed the instantly recognizable red head. Dante waved to his teammates and manager as he waltzed up to the sideline with his mammoth trainee in tow. "Everyone Fish Head, Fish Head everyone!" the bushy browed American said failing to actually introduce anyone to each other.

The spiky bleach haired colossus raised a massive bear paw in greeting and stated calmly, "Suitokku Tomo. Thanks for having me."

Juri and Kotaro's jaws both hit the turf. The thought crossed bother of their minds instantly, _'Holy hell! He's enormous!'_ As the shocked pair stared at the titan with saucer sized eyeballs Kurita bounced over to Suitokku merrily and shook his hand happily.

"Glad you could make it Suitokku-kun! Best of luck today!" the rotund blob man exclaimed joyfully.

Sutiokku nodded stoically with the slightest hint of a smile. The mammoth teen then shifted his attention to the man with the buzz cut hair do and offered him a handshake. Unsui allowed his hand to be swallowed by the leviathan's and greeted the prospect politely, "Nice to meet you Suitokku. I'm Unsui Kongo, the quarterback."

The giant teen smiled and shook his index finger at the quarterback with his free hand in recognition of the term. "So you're the guy I have to protect and kill huh?" the leviathan said more than asked. Unsui instantly blanched with hesitation, especially considering his hand was still trapped in the bear trap connected to Suitokku's arm. Upon seeing the now uncertain quarterback's expression Suitokku admonished, "Your position I mean… not you specifically."

Unsui nodded and retracted his hand. He laughed nervously before stating, "I guess it would make sense that you'd be trying out for the lineman positions. Well best of luck to you today."

At that moment Dante wrapped and arm around Unsui's head and gave him a quick noogie, "Aw come on Cue Ball he don't need no luck! He's gonna knock it outta da park! Right Fish Head?"

"So long as you remember our deal." Suitokku frowned while pointing an accusing finger at the fiery foreigner.

"Yeah yeah sure sure… SPEAKING of which…" Dante trailed off while a mischievous grin grew like a tumor on his face as he continued to hold Unsui in a headlock. "Where is Chicken Little?"

"Chicken-who?" the other four present members of team Enma asked befuddled.

Dante only cackled under his breath, "Hehehe he must not be here yet… You'll see." He let go of Unsui and puttered off to look over the field equipment, chuckling devilishly as he did.

Suitokku spat under his breath…"I still can't believe he beat me…"

* * *

Suzuna stood outside the locker room door with her back leaning against the wall. Her arms were crossed over her chest and she let out a long exasperated sigh. "Come one Sena it's can't be that bad."

"NOT THAT BAD? IT'S HUMILIATING!" the brunette running back screeched from behind the door.

"Dante won the bet fair and square. Now come one out or we're gonna be late." Suzuna said impatiently. Sena responded only with silence and after a few tense moments the navy haired beauty decided to try a different tactic. "Come on stud… I'll bet you're the _sexiest _chicken I'll ever see." She said in her most seductive voice. After a few more moments of silence the door cracked open ever so slightly to reveal Sena in a yellow feathered chicken suit complete with the red comb and waddle. His posture was hunched with embarrassment and humiliation and his legs were shaking like jackhammers.

Suzuna had to immediately cover her mouth to repress the burst of laughter swelling up inside of her. In fact she was shaking almost as badly as he was. Sena sheepishly raised his head and pulled back the hood that was complete with a beak and eye holes. His face revealed an expression of complete defeat and shame, not to mention a shade of red that would have made a ripe tomato look pale. Suzuna knew if she didn't do something to raise his spirits he would never make it to the field. She leaned into his chest and ran her finger up and down his torso seductively. "See what did I tell you? _Sexiest _chicken I've ever seen." She then slowly careened towards his shamefully bowed head and laid a slow passionate kiss on her sorrowful lover.

Sena sighed in defeat and pulled the hood back over his head murmuring, "Let's get this over with…"

* * *

Disproportionately large eyes and agape jaws met the pair of lovers as they approached the field. Suzuna skated slowly beside the slouching and shuffling Sena as they got closer to their gawking audience. Dante alone was the only person to make a sound. The beastial redhead was literally rolling on the ground and laughing so loudly it appeared to physically hurt him.

Sena finally reached the sideline with his girlfriend and he shot the reason for his embarrassing situation a look that could kill. Dante only continued to nearly piss himself with laughter on the ground. Behind the Dante, Suitokku rubbed the back of his head, ashamed that he couldn't beat the cackling American the prior night at Lone Star's. He was partially responsible for Sena's current predicament and he felt for the plumage clad running back.

When Dante finally managed to reign in his uncontrollable laughter he approached Sena while still holding his quaking belly and slapped him on the back heartily. "Oh- Man… I nearly slushed my gutchies that was so funny! HAHAHA!"

"I hate you so much right now…" Sena steamed under his breath.

"Aw come on Twinkle Toes don't be that way, you lost the bet fair and square." Danted chided.

"That's in the eye of the beholder…" The running back spat.

At this point everyone was looking at one another in confused manners and Juri blurted, "Wait what happened?"

To this Dante happily retold the story of the prior night including the bet, the contest, and how he victoriously beat the behemoth known to him as Fish Head by a split second. At this point Suitokku butted in saying, "Yeah but you used your hands towards the end! How was that fair?"

"Weren't no rules against it, nothing said you couldn't do it either you sore loser HAHAHA!" Dante bellowed. The fiery foreigner was all smiles this day, and for obvious reasons. He had come out on top of the bet last night to everyone's surprise considering the size of his opponent. It just so happened to be Sena's misfortune for being the little guy who got caught in the wrong situation at the wrong time again. And despite the big oaf's carrying on and just being an overall ass everyone couldn't help but chuckle along with his infectious mirth. Not even Suzuna could hold back any longer and in spite of her love for the light speed chicken she too laughed along with everyone else. Sena just sulked inside his yellow poultry prison and grumbled all the while.

Shortly thereafter Monta arrived with the fresh batteries and about died laughing at his friend and upon hearing Dante's story shared in his mirth for the second time around. The simian receiver managed to compose himself long enough to bring about the camera and hit record. He pointed the device at his friend and giggled like a little kid saying, "Oh man I have to get his on film!" Sena attempted to cover his face with a wing and ducked down in embarrassment.

Matters only got worse when Mizumachi and Riku arrived with the committee members and the remaining rookie hopefuls. Riku cocked an amused eyebrow at the chicken in the crowd and Mizumachi pointed and began to laugh heavily at the running back. One of the nameless rookies asked silently to another next to him, "I thought our mascot was a cat or something?"

"Sena is… is that you?" Riku asked doubtfully.

The boy in the chicken suit simple turned away from the bleach haired runner and slumped.

"No way…" Riku smirked as he realized it was indeed his "younger brother."

At this point Mizumachi somehow caught his breath and asked, "What happened bro? Did you lose a bet?"

Something snapped in the running backs head. The shrugging chicken jolted at the comment and shot the gangly lineman an intensely hateful look. Sena's eyes burnt holes through the tall teen's soul causing Mizumachi to turn pale, pass out, and foam at the mouth. Monta who was currently standing by the yellow feathered brunette took a step away from the fuming runner. All of the rookies stood stark still and turned white as ghosts under the intensity of Sena's glare… save for two.

Chuubou was the first to greet his former teammate. The smaller lineman crushed Sena in a tackling hug which sent both of them crashing to the ground. Having the wind knocked out of him made Sena wheeze in pain as he was dragged back to his feet in a crushing embrace. The stocky young teen had grown quite a bit in the last few years and was now about two inches taller than Sena, albeit that still left him a very short lineman. He had however filled out rather impressively. Chuubou must have had one hell of a growth spurt in high school because he was no longer the skinny little kid he once was. The mohawked teen must have packed on several pounds of muscle over the years to his small frame. He still had his stubby short little eyebrows and styled his hair the same way and other than bulking up the cheerful teen hadn't changed much at all.

"Captain! Oh man it's been forever since I've seen you! Why are you dressed like a chicken? Did you lose a bet?" the stout youth asked in machine gun fashion.

Realizing that he was suffocating his team captain Chuubou relinquished his vice like grip on the runner. Having his breath squeezed out of him caused Sena to lose the furious rage he had shot Mizumachi's way moments before. Sena rasped for breath and managed to wheeze, "Yeah y… you could s… say that…"

"Bummer dude…" Chuubou stated sadly.

"I can't believe Eyeshield 21 is wearing a chicken suit. What kind of bet did you lose?" Said an incredibly tall young man with dark hair that covered half of his face.

Sena perked up at the familiar voice and gawked at the towering teen. He was as tall as Mizumachi with piercing eyes and a calmly set jaw. The brunette gasped with realization when he finally recognized the lengthy linebacker. "Kakei? Is that you?"

The former Poseidon nodded and even managed to let an uncharacteristic smile slide as he greeted his friend. He was still over six feet tall and as imposing as ever to the running back. Sena was glad he was going to be on Enma's side.

"Glad to have you aboard Kakei-san! Good luck today… a…although I'm sure you w…won't need it aheh heh heh…." Sena laughed nervously.

"Thank you." replied the all star linebacker as he began to drag the still frothing and over reacting Mizumachi to his feet. "Does he still take his clothes off impulsively?"

Sena nodded sadly. "Yes… he still does that…"

Kakei only sighed.

* * *

After the initial surprise of the team captain showing up in a chicken suit the new recruits met on the field with the athletic committee. The three elderly men who were wearing khakis and golf shirts spoke to the group of youngsters regally, decreeing to them what it was that they must do today in order to have a shot at the one remaining and highly sought after Enma Sports Scholarship. When this was mentioned Suitokku's eyes lit up and he straightened visibly. Dante pointed in his direction from the field opposite of the crowd of hopefuls and then flexed his arms downwards in a show of strength. Suitokku took this to mean: "_Be strong!"_ But knowing Dante it could mean any number of things. For all Suitokku knew he could have just farted…

The three sports committee representatives had made it apparent that the first things that needed to be assessed were heights, weights, bench press, 40 yard dash times, and then the skills tests would begin. Suitokku, Kakei, and Chuubou all opted to go last behind the other five competitors. Many of the remaining hopefuls were average Joes that individually didn't look very impressive. None of them seemed particularly big enough to fill in a position at line which was a major position of concern for the Ligers. Additionally many of them were quite undersized to be playing football, however this did not bother many of the current Ligers because most of them were in fact quite small for the sport as well.

When it was Chuubou's turn to be sized up the cherub faced teen marched to the scale. As Sena expected the spiky haired kid was about 5 feet 11 and weighed 234 pounds. Kakei too didn't surprise many when he measured out to be 6 foot 5. However it was rather surprising to not only Sena but everyone else that he was only a few pounds heavier than Chuubou at 246. It would be interesting to see what would happen later in practice when push came to shove.

Finally it was Suitokku's turn. The leviathan seemed to shake the earth as the stomped his way over to the scales. Even the sports committee member in charge of the station paled in the shadow of the looming colossus. After adjusting the scales balances accordingly the numbers finally settled on 335 pounds. The stone faced giant stepped off the scale and waited patiently as the committee member measured his height. Kakei who had not stood next to the leviathan yet was rather surprised when he heard the committee member state that the mammoth was 6 foot 9.

Mizumachi, who was finally conscious again after suffering Sena's death beam stare, wrapped an arm around Kakei and said, "Looks like we're not the tallest kids on the block anymore huh?"

Kakei nodded silently in reply and only looked towards the maritime giant with respect.

* * *

When it came time for the bench press the other five individuals looked equally unimpressive showing a maximum bench press of 140 lbs and a minimum of less than 100. It was beginning to look dire for the other five more and more when Chuubou impressed the judges with a max bench press of 310 pounds.

Upon seeing this Juri nudged Suzuna's shoulder jokingly and snickered, "I guess it's true what they say. Big things do come in small packages."

Suzuna slapped the blue haired manager's shoulder playfully and said, "Stop it… I told you I'm not telling you anything about Sena so quit bothering me!"

Juri pouted thinking she had her friend trapped with that one. At this point Kakei had laid down on the bench and began to press. The tall dark and handsome linebacker easily hefted 265 pounds. He sat up on the bench and stretched having previously removed his shirt against his will because of Mizumachi's decree. Juri found herself staring doe eyed at the slender and toned linebacker. She swooned slightly and blushed a little before purring to Suzuna, "Then again… you can't argue with that either."

"Juri! Kotaro is right over there!" Suzuna scolded.

"Oh come on _Squirt _look at that and tell me differently!" Juri teased.

Suzuna glanced at Kakei and indeed did blush slightly when the sweating stud waltzed back to the group. She shook her head stubbornly and scowled at Juri. "Take your corruption elsewhere she-devil!" Suzuna hissed.

"Oh that's right, I forgot you prefer your men Kentucky Fried." Juri jabbed.

Suzuna gasped in shock and slapped her friend again, however much less playfully this time. Juri only snickered once more and was about to pile on another clever chicken joke at Sena's expense when a raucous commotion caused the two girls to shift their attention towards the group of newbies and gasp in surprise. Suitokku had removed his shirt as of Mizumachi's stupid order that all bench pressers had to "show off their muscles." The rest of the group stared at him with shock and surprise. It was no secret that the oceanic youth was a big guy but when he actually revealed it to the world it was dumbfounding. He didn't have an ounce of fat on his body at all and looked as though every muscle that rippled over this thick torso was made of steel. It was as if someone had plucked the physique of the Incredible Hulk right out of the comic book and slapped it onto Suitokku's frame. He was a freaking monster and as he approached the bench the air was deathly silent.

Suitokku lay across the bench press and stretched his arms across his chest to prepare for the immense weight he was about to lift. He wrapped his ridiculously large hands around the cold steel of the bar and heaved the heavy beam upwards. He easily pressed the weight numerous times and grunted for the committee members to add "a lot" more weight. They did so and Suitokku took a deep breath as he grabbed the bar again. This time even he struggled slightly as he roared out in determination to move the massive poundage. He lifted the bar 3 times steadily roaring each time as he did and he then slammed the weight back down to its resting place. Sitting up quickly he slapped his chest with each hand and growled with pride.

The sports committee member glanced nervously from the bar to his data sheet and back to Suitokku. He shifted his eyes to Kurita and gulped nervously before stuttering, "We h… have a new record! 530 pounds!"

The sound of jaws hitting the floor echoed throughout the weight room. If people didn't know any better they could have sworn Sena laid an egg just then. After the echoes had faded the room shook like an earthquake. Kurita had fallen to his butt in shock and amazement. Suitokku looked across the room and creased his brow with concern.

"What?" He asked in a stern voice.

Even Dante, who never ever seemed surprised caught his self gawking and quickly recomposed himself. The furry American shouted, "YEAH! Way to go Fish He-ad!" and shook his fist in the air triumphantly.

Suitokku raised his fist and shook it as well. The titanic youth then made his way over to Kurita and helped the shaken lineman to his feet. Kurita was still pale and Suitokku said solemnly, "Sorry if I broke your record Kurita. I didn't know…"

Kurita finally registered that Suitokku was standing beside him and that he had helped him to his feet. Something snapped in his chestnut shaped head and the surprised lineman's expression of shock turned to one of glee and he wrapped Suitokku in a crushing bear hug. Kurita then proceeded to bounce around in a circle while still holding Suitokku tightly. The maritime colossus began to go, "Woe woe woe!"

"That was amazing Suitokku-kun! You can bench even more than me! Now I'll have two strength rivals!" The rotund lineman exclaimed jovially.

Not quite used to being picked up off his feet Suitokku managed to garble between bounces, "That's… great… Kurita… now… please… put… me… down!"

This brought a chorus of laughter from the rest of team Enma.

* * *

It was finally time to start the 40 times and again none of the other hopefuls impressed. The fastest time amongst the other recruits was 5.6 which were appallingly slow for athletes of their size and stature. At this point it was pretty safe to assume none of them would make the team. On the sidelines Unsui and Riku shook their heads in disappointment; they were hoping to get a lot more out of this group. Sena also joined them in their dismay. He in particular was hoping that they would find another wide receiver in the group as well as some lineman prospects. Well at least it appeared that they would get at two linemen in Chuubou and possibly Kakei as well. Suitokku too would certainly be able to make the team as a great lineman as well… however in order for him to actually join he needed to win the sports scholarship and that was no easy contest.

Chuubou managed to post an impressive time for a lineman at 5.4 seconds. Not too fast but an acceptable speed for a lineman none the less. Kakei posted an impressive time as well at 4.5 seconds. With his skill and hand techniques his speed would be a valuable asset and if the defense was called correctly even faster players shouldn't be too much of a problem for him. But the player who shocked everyone with his 40 time the most was Suitokku. Nobody was prepared for when the massive monument of a man crashed his way down the track to record a 4.8 forty. While not particularly a speedy time for a football player, for a man of his size it was downright frightening.

Suitokku was walking with his hands stretched behind his head like Dante had taught him to do after such a burst of running and was wheezing for breath at the end of the track. The entirety of team Enma stood on the sidelines in stark shock. Even the normally composed Unsui and Kakei had their jaws on the turf. Monta's hand shook nervously while holding the camera.

The simian receiver was really shaken. He managed to whisper to himself, "He…he's almost as fast as I am…" Monta bowed his head in confusion and surprise. "Holy… sh…"

"AAWOOOOOOOO!" Dante howled like a beast. "Way to go Fish Head you speed demon!" He then slapped Monta on the shoulder, squeezed the receiver tightly and shook him lightly. "Wasn't that crazy Mitts? Just think of how many QB's are gonna shit their pants this season with him and Crème Puff crashing down on them! HAHAHA!"

Monta's nervous expression slowly curled into a devious smirk. "Yeah Whooeee! Were gonna crush em all!" he shouted with and upraised fist in excitement.

"All he's gotta do now is wow the judges at the skills tests and he's in!" Dante bellowed confidently.

And so the skill tests came and went. As expected none of the other nameless hopefuls made enough of an impression to warrant gaining a spot on the Liger's roster. Suitokku, Kakei, and Chuubou however had all impressed the team captains and the sports committee enough to make the team, but it would remain to be seen whether or not Suitokku would win the scholarship for another week. Two of the three sports scholarships had already been claimed by individuals in volley ball and soccer. The final remaining scholarship would likely go to either Suitokku or an individual from the baseball tryouts which were to occur next week. All that was left now was to play the waiting game.


	31. Untold Generosity

Disclaimer: Any original characters are property of myself and myself only. Eyeshield 21 is a series created by Riichigo Inagaki and Yusuke Murata. All characters of Eyeshield 21 are property of the original creators, Shonen Jump and Viz Media. Any references to the NFL and its players are copyrighted by the NFL and credited to their respective teams.

One week had passed since the tryouts. Enma's new team members Suitokku, Chuubou, and Kakei had all began to practice with Kurita singly to become better lineman. Despite the fact that Kakei had no prior lineman experience because of his similar size and skill sets to Mizumachi he had been unanimously voted to fill in the final spot on the line. The tall dark and handsome teen silently took his new responsibility with pride and worked out with Kurita and Mizumachi on a daily basis to better himself at the new position.

Chuubou and Suitokku both worked alone with Kurita for the last week. The pintsized tank with the Mohawk quickly caught on to Kurita's lessons and tried to help Suitokku as he could. However when it came to the maritime giant the learning curve was a bit slower. Still picking up the basics, Suitokku had relied mainly on his strength to get the upper hand, but as he would find out in the coming weeks strength would not be everything.

It was late on Friday evening as the newly appointed team captains of Enma sat around the clubroom table waiting for the call. The four athletes stared at the phone eagerly waiting for it to ring. Unsui sat leaning backwards in his chair with his arms folded across his chest. Sena nervously touched his forefingers together and fidgeted about in his seat. Kurita and Dante both had their faces inches away from the phone with their finger nails practically gouging lines across the table in anticipation.

When the phone did ring Kurita jumped up and held his hands close to his face in excited little balled up fists. Dante instantly picked up the phone and thrust it towards Sena who juggled the device and answered it. Unsui looked on in anticipation.

"Hello? Yes this is the football team representative captain Sena Kobayakawa." Sena answered the sports committee representative on the other end of the line. The brunettes face was tight with anticipation as he listened to the decision. Kurita and Dante were both feet in front of Sena pumping their fists in an excited manner and mouthing the words, "Come on! Come on!"

"Yes… Yes… I… I understand… thank you…" Sena's voice fell as he hung up the phone. He lowered his head as a shadow crept over his face.

"Well?" Dante and Kurita said in unison eagerly.

Sena's voice was barely a whisper. "They gave the last scholarship to Idataki Asuka for the baseball team…" Sena gritted his teeth and slammed his fist onto the table as tears began to swell at the corners of his eyes.

Dante's face twisted into a dark expression beyond description and he clenched his fists at his sides. He balled them so tightly that his knuckles began to turn white and his fists shook with rage. Kurita deflated and visibly sagged downwards.

The despondent lineman managed to ask in a barely audible voice, "But… why? Suitokku should have been chosen. He excelled at every skills test and even broke my record at the bench… and he was so fast. How could they not pick him?" Kurita was close to tears at the end of his sentence and Sena had to fight back his own even more.

"They said that it was so close a decision that they had to base it on experience. Asuka has been playing baseball since middle school and Suitokku didn't have any experience… That's what they said." the dismayed runner said tersely.

Dante could no longer hold back his rage and he roared, "THAT'S BULLSHIT AND YOU KNOW IT!" The enraged American slammed his fist onto the table nearly cracking the wood he was so furious. "He earned his spot on the team damn it! I dare them to put that fucking baseball fuck in the same shoes and see how well he'd compare doing skills tests with no experience. I fucking dare them! They have no fucking clue what Suitokku can do! Who the fuck are they to decide that based on experience!" He slammed the table once more and one could swear they could hear his teeth grinding together in ferocity.

Sena truly felt for Dante then and there as did everyone else. Everyone was so positive that Suitokku would land the scholarship after his fantastic showing at the tryouts. This was a low blow that none of them expected. There was a strained silence that fell over the four as they stood alone in the club room then. What were they going to do? What could they do? And more importantly how were they going to break the news to Suitokku.

Unsui was slightly more detached from the situation than the other three and he was the first to ask what everyone else was thinking. "Who's going to tell him?"

Kurita and Sena both looked up from their daze in fear. Neither one of them wanted to tell him. However in the back of Sena's mind he knew he was responsible for even bringing the maritime leviathan into the situation to begin with. The depressed running back began to say, "I'll tell…" but a fiery foreigner cut him off.

"No… no one is going to tell Suitokku anything!" Dante fumed his eyes shifting in thought.

"What do you mean?" Unsui asked with confusion.

"I said no one is going to tell Suitokku anything! He's going to play for Enma University and to hell with the sports committee!" The angry American stomped to the door of the clubroom and tore it open. He paused there and whispered harshly, "He earned his spot…"

"Dante w… what are you going to do?" Sena asked fearfully.

Dante glared back at the running back and said with a fierce fire burning in his eyes, "He earned his spot… I'm going to make sure he gets it… and don't any of you breathe a word of this to anyone or I will kill you…especially not to Suitokku!" and then the crimson beast marched off into the night.

The three remaining athletes glanced nervously at each other left only to wonder what it was Dante had meant by his declaration.

* * *

"…Understood Winstead?" Dante said to his faithful butler as the two of them stood by the immaculate marble island counter in the American's vast kitchen.

"Absolutely Master Dante, not a word shall leak from these lips." The elderly gentlemen acknowledged.

"Good." The bushy browed teen said as he began to turn away from the old Englishman.

"Master Dante? May I ask just but one question?" asked the withered old man before his cohort could exit.

"Yes Winstead?" Dante asked without turning around, and with an edge in his normally polite tone with the butler.

"I'm begging your pardon sir but I have to ask are you absolutely certain you wish to proceed with this?" he asked with real concern.

Dante stood silent for a moment mulling it over and then stated coldly, "He earned his spot…"

Winstead nodded silently and smiled as the young man he had cared for near 20 years disappeared down the hallway towards the room Suitokku was watching game film in. The old man waited until Dante was out of ear shot before saying with pride, "You have a kind heart Master Dante, I am proud to call you my friend." The old man then straightened up and turned on his heels to go about the task the hairy teen had bestowed upon him. "No then, let's get down to business shall I?"

* * *

Dante stood in front of his skull and crossbones door. He could hear the sounds of game film being played from inside. Suitokku really was a good student of the game. He was serious about this, it meant a lot to him, Dante could tell. _"Who the fuck do they think they are… taking that away from him…" _thought the crimson teen. The bushy browed beast breathed deeply to compose himself. _"I'll be damned if I let them take away what he earned!"_

The burly American burst through the door startling the dutiful student inside. He frowned at the maritime behemoth staring back at him with a silent eagerness in his eyes. Dante let the silence hang in the air to torment Suitokku a little bit before cracking a beastial smile and barking, "Congratulations Mr. scholarship winner!"

Suitokku leapt to his feet, nearly shaking the room as he did, and clenched his fists in excitement. "Are you serious?" He smiled from ear to ear. The constantly stone faced youth couldn't hide his excitement and glee if he tried.

"Welcome to the Ligers Fish Head." Dante said proudly.

The spiky haired teen slapped his massive hands together with joy and jumped up and down excitedly. He began to pump his fists victoriously and laughed earnestly. He then stopped moving suddenly and looked at Dante. A wickedly uncharacteristic grin crossed his broad face and he shot a pointed finger towards the safety turned linebacker.

Dante eyed him curiously with an upraised brow. "What?"

"You owe me a new nickname Hair Ball." Suitokku said smugly.

The American chuffed and crossed his arms across his toned chest. "I suppose a deal is a deal." He said disapprovingly. The gruff red head then hurriedly crossed the room and grabbed a massive claymore that was hanging from the wall. He raised it in both hands which caused Suitokku to raise an eyebrow of his own. Dante turned up his head in a regal fashion and in a snooty voice decreed. "Thou who were once deemed Fish Head. Kneel so that I may dub thee a new nick name." Suitokku chuckled at his friend's showmanship and played along taking one knee.

"Oh thee who were once a little fish amidst the mighty ocean of football have grown into a leviathan worthy of a true nickname. Upon much meditation and deliberation I the mighty Dante dub thee…" At this point Dante touched the tip of the massive claymore to each of Suitokku's shoulders, "Orca the Killer of the Seas!"

Suitokku looked upwards with wide eyes as Dante admonished him with his new moniker. Did the tenacious red head actually give him a, dare he say, cool nickname? Still on his knees Suitokku managed to smirk and say, "Not bad Gingerbread, not bad at all. I like it!"

The hairy American retracted the broad blade from the kneeling leviathan and rested its tip on the ground whilst holding its hilt. Still using his snooty king voice Dante beseeched, "Rise Orca! There is much merriment and drink to be had to celebrate your indoctrination to Enma's fabled fields!" Dante then thrust the sword towards the doorway in a magnificent flourish and cried, "To the ice box Hooooo!"

_Orca_ did just that, and the two teens took off out of the skull and crossbones door to raid the extensive bounty that no doubt lie in the kitchen fridge but only down the hall.

* * *

"What do you mean Suitokkun didn't get the scholarship?" Suzuna cried incredulously. The navy haired beauty quickly rose from her couch as Sena told her the news. The brunette runner stood in the doorway between his girlfriend's kitchenette and living room. He leaned heavily onto the passageway's frame and sighed with exhaustion. As he retold the dismal tale to Suzuna she could see him begin to sag with each deflating revelation.

When Sena finished telling her what had transpired only hours earlier, the azure angel slacked back into her couch. "That's! That's! … That's just not fair!" She started in anger but faded with sadness. "He deserved it more… he should have got it…" she whispered, truly torn over the situation.

"Dante thought so too." Sena said with melancholy.

"I bet… they seemed to be getting pretty close." Suzuna said lowly while bowing her head and wiping tears from her eyes.

"Dante said he wasn't going to let it happen…" Sena said with a hint of concern edging into his weak voice.

"What do you mean?" his lover placed her hands on the couch at her sides as though she would rise quickly.

"He made a big scene saying 'He earned his spot…' and not to tell anyone about Suitokku not getting the scholarship… or…" Sena gulped, "or he'd kill us."

This time Suzuna did stand up from the couch and glided over to her lover, placing a concerned hand onto his chest. "What do you think he's going to do?" she asked with real concern.

"I… I don't know."

"You don't think he'll threaten anyone do you?" She demanded, her voice escalating.

"No… Dante can be brash but he wouldn't do something that could hurt the football team even further. He's not like Hiruma. I mean yeah he has a lot of power but not like that devil does." Sena assured her.

"I… I suppose you're right… but what could he mean?" the cheer captain sighed and nuzzled her head into Sena's chest.

The light speed runner cradled her head and held her close. He whispered into her ear, "I may not know what Dante has planned but… when he sets his mind to something it gets done. All we can do know is wait and trust in him." The brunette caressed the back of his girlfriends head to comfort not only her but himself as well. Sighing into her shoulder he murmured, "We can only hope that when he does do something… he tells us what it is…"

* * *

Two days later at Point Crest Dante had called together the other three captains for a meeting regarding Suitokku's position with Enma University. The red haired American sat patiently at a patio table sitting in front of a nearly microscopic pocket café called "Bon Chance." There was a stack of papers sitting in front of him and he was calmly sipping an iced tea as he waited for his teammates to arrive.

He absently watched his surroundings not really soaking them in. It was still early but Point Crest was already bustling with activity. Businessmen in fine three piece suits hurried about their morning routine completely oblivious of the world around them. The morning commute bubbled its way all about him but somehow Bon Chance seemed to stand alone amongst the crowds. Perhaps that's what drew the American to the small hidden away café. It was the one peaceful spot in a sea of chaos. Or maybe it was because it was the only place in Japan that had iced tea that he could actually tolerate, he wasn't quite sure.

Something large and round emerged from the throng of suits and bounced its way towards the tiny coffee house. Dante immediately recognized Kurita and waved the bulbous lineman over. "Oi! Crème Puff!" the American brought his fingers to his mouth and let out a shrill whistle. The rotund athlete raised a hand to alert Dante that he had received the message.

"Good morning Dante-kun." Kurita said with a bow as he pulled up a chair next to the red head.

"Hey Crème Puff, howzit going?" Dante said in a bored tone.

"Not so great…" sighed the giant. "I haven't slept very well the last couple of nights because of this Suitokku business…" Kurita sagged over onto the table and rested his round head on his flabby forearms.

Dante just slapped his back in a comforting manner and stated, "Well I've got some good news for you then! But it'll have to wait until Cue Ball and Twinkle Toes get here."

Kurita popped his eyes open and glanced towards the foreigner curiously. The cherub giant sat upright and was about to ask Dante more about this "news" but was interrupted by the beastial teen.

"Speak of the Devil." He said while placing his glass of iced tea onto the table.

Out of the crowd Sena and Unsui approached the pair of athletes and joined them at the table. Sena seemed tired but eager at the same time as he placed his rear down onto the wicker chair. Unsui put off an air of calm clarity as usual and greeted Dante and Kurita as he sat. Seeming to have forgotten his manners Sena then also greeted his friends.

The bushy browed teen nodded to his teammates and cleared his throat. "Thank you all for coming, now without further ado let us begin with the meeting regarding Orca." The hairy American announced professionally.

"Orca?" they all mouthed in unison.

"Fish Head… he's Orca now… he earned that too. Anyway…" Getting down to business Dante picked up the stack of papers sitting in front of them and plopped them down in front of Sena and Unsui. "Those are all the forms needed for Orca to attend Enma University and to play for the Ligers. All of them have been filled out in their entirety. Turn them into the admissions building by ASAP and Orca will officially be a student at Enma University and eligible to play as of next week."

Everyone's jaws hit the table. Dante simply sat in silence and touch another drink of his iced tea. Sena quickly snatched up some of the papers as did Unsui. They quickly rifled through the hefty stack of stationary and found to their amazement that everything was indeed taken care of… including the tuition fees…

Then it donned on Sena. "Dante… did you?"

"Don't worry about what I did… I told you I'd take care of it and I did. That's all the more we need to discuss on the manner. BUT… one condition comes with these papers…" Dante stated and tapped his gnarly finger on the stack of forms.

"This conversation does not leave this café. No one is to tell Orca aka Suitokku any of this. He doesn't need to know. He earned his spot fair and square… I just made sure he got it… that's all. Nothing more, nothing less, and it's gonna stay that way."

Everyone was completely silent. Surprise was overwhelming them with a wave of emotions that kept them in an isotonic state. Did Dante just single handedly pay for Suitokku's education? It was almost unfathomable that such an act of generosity would come from the brutish linebacker. The silent gawking persisted for a few more moments and Dante grew irritated.

"GOT IT?" Dante insisted with a growl.

Everyone shook their heads to dislodge their amazement. They managed to smile in a give a silent nod. But Unsui had a thought that may ruin this "perfect plan."

"What if Suitokku finds out that he didn't actually win the scholarship?" the bald quarterback asked.

"Not gonna happen… not unless one of you blabs." The fierce red head said threateningly.

"We don't have to, what if he finds out from someone on the baseball team, or if that Asuka kid says something? Suitokku isn't stupid he'll suspect something is up."

Again Dante said evenly, "Not gonna happen… I also took care of that. As far as Orca will ever know, the decision came so close down to the wire that the University decided to give away an additional scholarship so both he and Idataki Asuka could have one."

Unsui pursed his lips in confusion and demanded, "But how did you?"

Dante cut him short with a glare, "Don't worry about it. The less you three know the better, I don't even feel comfortable letting you know this much but it can't be helped if I don't want Orca to find out."

Everyone was silent. They all stared back at the American with a strange mixture of appreciation and awe. They all knew what he did, and the fact that he would do that for almost a complete stranger was beyond the description of the phrase heartwarming. It was downright commendable and honoring to know this man. Suitokku couldn't have asked for a better friend.

Dante sat silently for a moment longer before shifting his attention to Sena. He slowly pointed an accusatory finer his way and stated, "And you! Keep your lip shut. Don't be telling any of this to Squit! She don't need to worry about this. At least not anymore than you probably already told her!"

Sena tuned as white as a sheet and shot up straight in his chair and stuttered as he broke out in a sweat, "W…what a…are you t…talking about I d…didn't say a wo…word!"

"Bu-llshi-t!" drew out the harassing American. "All she has to do is flutter her little doe eyes at you and you melt like butter." Dante then interlaced his fingers together and held them to one side of his face. He batted his eyelids raised his voice in a faux impersonation of the cheer captain and said, "Oh Sena you stud please do spill the beans!"

Unsui and Kurita began to chuckle in spite of themselves and tried to hold back their laughter. Sena turned beet red and stammered, "I… do not d..do that! Take it back!"

"Oh Sena-kun you big meanie!" Dante pouted feigning insult while still imitating the cheer leader.

"Why you!" Sena leapt across the table and tackled the American causing him to fall backwards out of his seat. At this point Kurita and Unsui both erupted with laughter as the two teens rolled around on the ground causing quite a commotion. It wasn't long however until Dante had Sena in a headlock and was giving him noogies for his efforts.

And so while Suitokku did not truly win the sports scholarship at Enma University, through sheer will and utter determination he had earned his spot on Enma's roster in one man's eyes. And it just so happened that that man had the power to give Suitokku the prize he had so rightly earned yet had been so robbed of by the sports committee. And while no one knew at the time if or when the maritime colossus would discover the truth of his friend's great act of generosity, it would be certain from this point forward that Suitokku Tomo would be a Liger!

* * *

Ok everyone, this pretty much is the end of the Suitokku arc. I know it started off a little slow but I want to thank all my readers who stuck with it to the end. I hope you all have enjoyed Eyeshield Heart so far. The following chapters promise to be interesting and a little more fun with a new love interest, actual football games, more Sena/Suzu, and possibly even a little bit of Hiruma vs Dante for all you YA-HA-! fans. Take care everyone and again thanks for reading and all your continued support! You guys are the best!


	32. Suzuna's Scheme: Monkey Mint Collision

Disclaimer: Any original characters are property of myself and myself only. Eyeshield 21 is a series created by Riichigo Inagaki and Yusuke Murata. All characters of Eyeshield 21 are property of the original creators, Shonen Jump and Viz Media. Any references to the NFL and its players are copyrighted by the NFL and credited to their respective teams.

"Oh stop being such a chicken! You're coming to practice with me today and you're going to like it!" Juri imposed onto her sister.

"But… I don't… I feel really awkward around too many people sis!" Shidao argued.

"I know. That's why you're coming. You need to get out more and meet some people for once little sister!" retorted the elder Sawai sibling.

"Bu…but Monta will be there! I… I can't! I'll be too n…nervous!" Shidao cried with anxiety as her face flamed to life with red hues.

Juri stopped walking, turned to her younger sister and grinned mischievously. "SO that's what all this is about! I had almost forgotten about your little crush on him!" she lied.

"That! That's not fair! You didn't forget you liar! You're just doing this to torture me!" the mint haired girl nearly bawled she was so embarrassed.

"Oh stuff a sock in it, you're still coming whether you like it or not. And hey who know's maybe Monta will even actually _see_ you and realize you exist! How about that, hmm?" Juri prodded.

Shidao simply mewled pitifully and was dragged by the wrist in the general direction of Enma's football field.

Down on the field Unsui was running passing drills to Monta and Riku as Sena and Dante covered them. Periodically they would switch positions from wide receiver to quarterback so that they could all equally practice the positions. However it was pretty unequal when it was anyone's turn to be Dante's partner for the exercise. The athletic monster made them fight for every pass or every pass defense and he didn't pull any punches to say the least. However despite his ridiculous football skill Monta and Sena still managed to outdo him on a few plays. The simian receiver had managed to surpise the furry American with his patented devil backfire and Dante was rather impressed by the young receiver's incredible skill. And Sena, well with his fancy feet and light speed he was able to out speed the fiery foreigner to accomplish a few deep fade routes. However do to his lack of catching skills Sena failed to make many receptions that should have been caught. For this, Dante chewed him out.

"Dammit Twinkle Toes! If you're gonna get past me then you had better catch the fucking ball once in a while! To think you'd get by me for nothing! GRAH!" Dante threw his hands up in disgust. "You need to practice your catching skills from now on! Starting this week you're with Mitts and Cue Ball permanently until you improve shrimpy!"

"But I don't play wide receiver I'm the running back…" Sena tried to say pitifully.

"SO what? Imagine how much more of a potent threat you'd be if you could actually catch the damn ball! And don't give me any BS about needing to practice your _running _or your _footwork_! You've been doing that for three plus years! Your muscles are so attuned to it you don't need as much practice at it!" Fumed the red head.

"I…I guess so… but I still need to practice running… I don't want to get rusty…" Sena mumbled.

Dante frowned and sighed with irritation. "I know damn it! OK? We still have one month until the preseason skirmishes start. Until then switch off every other day with catching and running drills. Is that OK?" the crimson haired monster growled.

Sena gently kicked at the grass with his foot and nodded. It was kind of strange for some of the team members to see their Captain on offense taking orders from the Defensive Captain but Dante had a point. The brunette runner had to admit that if he could improve his catching skill then Enma's offense would be all the more lethal.

While Sena and Dante continued to debate practice schedules Monta removed his helmet to take a breather. The simian receiver had changed his hair style and now the sides and back of his head were trimmed very close to the scalp while the top of his cranium still had spikes protruding every which way. He began to scratch the stubble of a goatee he now had grown on his chin. He still had his thick well kept sideburns however and as he wiped the sweat from his brow something caught his attention from the corner of his eye.

Juri and Suzuna were both on the sidelines going over their usual business. Suzuna was filming the line group practice to help show the new recruits where to improve later and Juri as always had her clip board and was busily taking notes and talking offhandedly to the cheer captain. But what caught the simian receiver's eye wasn't them it was the girl with the mint green hair that was sitting timidly on the bench behind them.

"Wow…" Monta mouthed silently. _"She's really cute… Wait… is she looking at me?"_

Suddenly the mint haired girl looked to her lap and shrunk down a little. Monta raised an eyebrow and just said, "Hunh…"

"MITTS! Get back to work you lazy ape!" Dante bellowed authoritatively.

The young receiver nearly jumped out of his socks. He hurriedly put back on his helmet and stammered, "Y…Yes! Whooeeee!" and he quickly ran back to the starting point of the drill.

* * *

"Alright guys take a breather." Juri said after blowing the whistle around her neck. The lineman group then broke off from their formation and headed over to the bench. Kakei removed his helmet and it was blatantly obvious that this new position was taking its toll on him. Sweat dripped from his face like bullets and he graciously accepted the towel Suzuna handed to him.

Juri teased him a little bit saying, "What's the matter super star? Being a lineman proving too much for you?"

Kakei finished wiping the sweat from his brow and wheezed, "No nothing like that… I just am not used to this position at all. I'm using muscles I'm not used to using. And let's face it when your teacher and opponents are two of the top lineman in Japan they work you pretty hard."

"You can say that again!" Chuubou chimed in as he eagerly took a swig of his sports drink.

Suitokku added after drying off his face, "Oh come on its not that bad" and he slapped Chuubou heavily on the back sending the pint sized lineman forwarded a few feet.

The stout young lineman spit out his sport drink in surprise and gasped, "Oh my god it came out my nose! _Cough cough_!" This only caused Suitokku and Mizumachi to laugh warmly. "Its… _snort_ not _cough_ funny!" Chuubou hacked.

As the commotion around the bench began to increase Shidao Sawai rose to her feet and tiptoed away from the growing crowd of giant intimidating men. She managed to somehow avoid her nosy sister and crept up the sideline a few yards to try and get a better look at Monta while he practiced with the wide receiver's group.

Monta was up against a rather hairy brute that if she remembered correctly from her sister's stories was called Dante. Her sister had made the American out to be an unstoppable monster of a man but to her great surprise and pleasure she watched Monta catch not one but two passes in a row while being covered by the red haired demon. In spite of herself Shidao was blushing and holding one hand semi closed over her breast. Unbeknownst to her Suzuna had seen her sneak away and was watching the shy teen ogle the receiver.

The azure angel smiled deviously as an idea popped into her head a horribly clever and wicked plan. She silently skated off towards the bench and whispered her plan to Juri, not so much to get her involved but quite the opposite, to make sure she didn't get in the way. The elder Sawai sister nodded and giggled eagerly after hearing the cheer captain's scheme.

Suzuna glided back towards the field and blew her own whistle loudly. She then shouted, "CHEWIE! GET OVER HERE!"

The fuzzy foreigner cocked his head at the girl and echoed back, "WHAT THE HELL FOR?"

"JUST DO IT DAMN IT!"

"What does she want?" Monta queried as Dante removed his helmet.

The red head shook his wild mane of shoulder length hair loose and grumbled, "Hell if I know." As he started off towards the sidelines he turned part way back and yelled, "You two cover Monta I'll be right back."

Dante reached the sideline seconds later and Suzuna pulled him aside. "What?" He asked with a bored tone.

"Just shut up and listen!" Suzuna scolded. She then stood on her tip toes and whispered her plot into his ear. Dante's eyebrows continued to slowly rise as the cheerleader bequeathed more of her plan to him. A wicked stupid grin spread over his hairy face and he turned his head back to the receiving group. He glanced between Monta and the mint haired girl standing on the sideline.

When Suzuna finished she asked, "Got all that?"

Dante only replied by jutting his lower jaw out and offering a wicked toothy grin. He quickly put his helmet back on and dashed back to the receiving group. Suzuna nodded confidently and shifted her attention over to Shidao. "_Time for the distraction." _She thought.

She slowly skated over towards the mint haired teen and greeted the shy girl warmly. "Hey Shidao, are you enjoying the practice so far?"

The timid teenager was surprised by the cheerleader and gasped in reply, "Oh Suzuna you scared me!"

"Sorry about that!" Suzuna frowned.

"Oh that's ok, I guess I was just distracted…" replied the mint haired teen… quickly realizing she had only set the bait for the other girl.

Suzuna's antennae perked up and a small smirk crossed her visage. "OH I get it. Ogling Monta are we? Tee hee!"

"No.. I wasn't I swear!" Shidao tried to argue.

Suzuna only chuckled and said, "Oh come on Shidao its nothing to be ashamed of. Besides I used to do just the same thing."

"You mean?"

"Yeah I used to watch Sena from the sideline too. The only difference was that I actually talked to him and got to know him and now that we're together I couldn't be happier." Suzuna beamed.

Shidao sighed and started to pull at her long hair hand over hand. "I wish I had that confidence…"

Suzuna frowned slightly and then smiled. She lightly tapped the girl's shoulder and said, "Why don't you just go say hello? At least introduce yourself."

The mint haired teen immediately burst into crimson hues and began to stutter in protest, "N…no I… c…can't. I'd th…throw up or… or pass out! I… I just can't!"

The cheer captain sighed and turned slightly towards the field. The azure angel said to the shy teen, "Well I guess I can't force you to talk to him if your don't want to…" for some reason Suzuna stretched her hands out above her head and when she released them downwards her thumbs were pointing downward.

Out on the field Dante smiled evilly, "I was hoping she'd say that."

"What's that Dante?" Unsui asked. He was the only one near the American at the time as Riku, Sena, and Monta were taking a quick breather some yards away from them and only he had heard the foreigner speak.

"Hey Cue Ball you're a pretty accurate passer right?" Dante asked with a strange scheming tone.

"Yeah I guess so… why do you ask?" Unsui wearily asked.

Dante then told to the quarterback what Suzuna had told to him. The bald quarterback then scrunched up his face and said, "No way I can't do that!"

This caused the bushy browed beast to frown disapprovingly. "Why the hell not?"

"She might get hurt!" Unsui tried to keep his voice low. The other three participants in the receiving core had replaced their helmets and were approaching the pair of captains.

Before they got too close within ear shot Dante stated more than asked, "So your saying you won't do it?"

"Absolutely not!" Unsui decreed.

"_Then_ I will!" Dante said smugly with a demeaning chesire grin ala the troll face emoticon and he swiped the ball from Unsui's hand.

"HEY MITTS! Go long, sideline fade. DON'T DROP IT!" Dante shouted at the simian receiver.

"YOSH! WHOOOEEEEEE!" Monta screeched and he began dashing down the sideline with reckless abandon.

Before Unsui could interfere Dante pulled back his arm and fired the football like a cannon down the sideline. The ball sailed through the air for several yards just skimming the aerial border of the out of bounds line. Monta was so focused on the ball that everything else around him was completely blocked out. All he could see and hear was the ball soaring through the air, his body instinctively honed for the catch. As the ball approached the ground Monta leapt for the flying pigskin. Dante had thrown it in such a way that if Monta was to catch it he would have to go out of bounds and tap his toes down inbounds. With all his focus on catching the football he didn't see what was right in front of him, Shidao Sawai.

The apish receiver collided with the green haired girl in mid leap. She shrieked in surprise as the two of them crashed to the ground rolling along with one another like a tumble weed. Monta's helmet went flying off in one direction and the ball went in another. When the two finally settled to a stop Monta was lying on top of her. A few moments passed before Monta got his wits about him and he shook his head wearily.

"Wow… what happened…" he strained. Just then he realized he was lying on top of the cute girl with the mint green colored hair he had seen on the sideline's earlier. Their faces were so close to each other their noses were nearly touching. Almost simultaneously both of them turned beet red and their eyes popped open as big as dinner saucers.

Monta quickly sat up and rolled off the poor girl and profusely apologized to her, "Oh my god I am so sorry! Sorry, sorry, sorry! Are you ok?"

For a moment Shidao just laid there in shock, her brain had fizzled out on her. _"!" _Her mind raced. Her eyes were so wide that if she rolled over at that moment they might have fallen out of their sockets.

Monta panicked, "Are you ok miss? Miss? Oh god I killed her!"

"N…no I… I think I'm ok." She said in the tiniest voice possible.

"Oh geez! I'm so sorry. I was just so focused on catching the ball that I didn't even see you! Are you sure you're alright?" he gabbed.

Shidao slowly leaned up onto her elbows and winced a little. "It's alright I'm fine. I'm sorry I screwed up your catch." She apologized meekly.

Monta waved his hands back and forth frantically and yelped, "Don't worry about that! I'm just glad I didn't hurt you!"

Just then Suzuna decided to "jump into" the conversation. "Oh my god! Shidao are you ok?"

"Yes… yes I'm fine…" she said sheepishly

Dante too had run over and spouted, "Dude what the hell! You crashed into that poor girl!"

"I didn't mean to!" Monta cried.

"DUDE! You crashed into her like a freight train going through a nitro glycerin factory!"

"It was an accident I said I was sorry! WHOOOEEEEEE!" Monta screeched while raking his face in frustration. While all this was happening Suzuna was slowly helping Shidao to her feet.

"Don't just say you're sorry dumbass! Make it up to her! The least you can do is take her out for a coffee or something! Jesus Christ Man!" Dante retorted.

Suzuna eyes lit up and she smiled at Shidao as she helped her up. "Did you hear that Shidao? Maybe this is your chance!"

The apish teen stopped raking his face and started to nod furiously at the American's suggestion. He turned back to Shidao and opened his mouth but closed it as the red hues seeped in again. He gulped hard and puffed out his chest in a show of bravado, "Yes please let me make it up to you miss…?"

Shidao was nearly leaning back completely into Suzuna and the navy haired teen shoved her forward whispering, "Come on girl this has to be FATE! Don't turn him down now!"

The cheer captain had actually pushed her forward a with a little more force than necessary and she bumped into Monta who did what he did best and "caught" her gently. She found herself face to face with him again for the second time that day and she erupted in shades of red again. Monta gently placed her at arm's length out of respect and looked patiently for her answer.

The younger Sawai sibling began to pull at her hair again hand over hand and took a deep breath, "_It's now or never!" _she thought. "Shidao, Juri's little sister… and y…yeah a coffee would be… would be great." She strenuously managed to say.

Monta exhaled in relief and said, "Alright then I'll meet you after practice?"

The mojito-esque teen nodded silently smiled slightly.

"Great, and again I'm so sorry about crashing into you!" Monta bowed several times apologetically.

"Good, now that you've made amends… GET BACK TO WORK!" Dante roared in the simian's ear, causing Monta to leap nearly ten feet into the air. The simian receiver dashed back to the starting line quickly spewing apologies towards the American. When the monkey like teen got back returned to the receiving group Sena and Riku asked if the girl was alright. Monta replied that she was and told them about what happened. Unsui remained oddly silent and had a cross look on his face. The bald quarterback stared darkly at Dante as the red head approached.

"What are you looking at Cue Ball?" Dante said with distaste.

"I can't believe you did that… what would you have done if she got hurt." Unsui spat.

"Well she didn't get hurt did she?" snipped the American.

"I can't believe you! What would possess you to do that?" the quarterback demanded.

"You've never had a girl huh Cue Ball?" Dante tilted his head and queried out of nowhere as he stood parallel to the ex-Naga.

Unsui squished up his face in irritation, "What's that have to do with anything!"

"You'll figure it out someday Cue Ball… maybe after you grow your big boy hair." Dante prodded and stuck out his lower lip in a mocking grin.

The quarterbacks face flared with rage and he shouted, "Why you! You! YOU! OHHH!" with each _you_ his fists clenched tighter and tighter at his sides and he continuously raised his shoulders in frustration.

"You _WHAT_? HUH?" Dante intimidated Unsui.

Unsui just growled in defiance and returned to the receiver group.

"Yeah I thought not…" mumbled the linebacker. Dante then turned towards the sidelines slightly just enough to shoot Suzuna a thumbs up and a toothy smile. On the edge of the grid iron Suzuna returned the gesture and continued to help Shidao to the bench. With that Dante went back to covering and tormenting his teammates.

It just so happened it was his turn to cover Monta. As the bushy browed American stood in his stance adjacent to the receiver he smirked slightly at the ape. "She's pretty cute Mitts. You lucky dog… get to take her out for coffee." Dante playfully shoved the teen's shoulder.

Monta blushed and widened his eyes in a bit of momentary surprise. He absently mindedly scratched at his nose tape through his helmet and gabbed, "Yeah… she is pretty cute. I saw her on the sidelines earlier but I didn't expect to be treating her to coffee, that's for sure. I wonder if she has a boyfriend?" A small gleeful smile curled upwards on the monkey's lips.

Dante peeled his lips back in laughter, "Hee Hee Heeeee! You'll have to ask her lady-killer!" The American knew that Monta wasn't clever enough to realize that he had thrown the ball towards Shidao so they'd collide on purpose, but he was still genuinely happy for his friend, and finding out that apparently the mint haired girl has a huge crush on the receiver made Dante feel even better about putting her in the cross hairs of the airborne receiver. In his terms, it was worth the risk… and luckily nothing bad came from the decision, even if Unsui had a point. The American caught himself giving the quarterback a sideways glance and frowned at the ex-Naga. _"Whatever, no point dwelling on the past."_ The American thought as he lowered himself further into his stance.

Back on the bench the line group had returned to smashing into one another in coordinated crushing calisthenics. In the absences of the colossal men Shidao was comfortable enough to sit on the bench and watch the receiving group across the way. She had a permanent shade of pink on her cheeks and she seemed to be in a daze.

Suzuna plopped down beside her and squealed with glee, "Oh my god Shidao! I can't believe Monta asked you out for a coffee! Isn't that a great? Oh and you got to get up close and personal with him you lucky girl you!" Suzuna shook the teen's shoulder excitedly to emphasize her point.

The mint haired teen placed her palms on her knees and lowered her head shyly. "I… I'm so… so nervous…I can't believe he asked me." she smile sheepishly.

"Good thing your sister dragged you to practice today! It must be fate!" Suzuna smiled warmly at the timid teen.

A little rain cloud seemed to form over the younger Sawai sister's head at the reminder. "Please don't remind me… she's never going to let me live this down…" pouted the younger teen.

As if right on cue Juri came waltzing over with a big grin on her face. "He-y baby sister, getting friendly with one of the players I see. Oh what's this? It just so happens to be your little crush you say?" Juri put a hand behind her ear and teased her sister with the gesture.

Shidao leapt up from the bench and put a hand over her sister's mouth frantically to silence her. "Shhh! Someone will hear you!" she panicked.

Juri batted her younger sibling's hand away and barked, "No they won't! All those boneheads over there hear is crashing, bashing, and grunting and your little boyfriend's group is outta ear shot so take a chill pill!"

The two sisters simmered at one another for a moment more before Suzuna interjected more to stop a confrontation than anything else, "Well I hate to rain on your parade girls but I think Shidao should changer her clothes… look at those grass stains."

Shidao instantly looked down at her blouse and khakis and mewled, "Oooooh no! My blouse! I can't go out with Monta looking like this!" Her clothes were covered in brown green streaks of plant and dirt gook from when she took a roll with Monta on the side lines.

"Well I can't just leave the practice field to take you home and change!" Juri said half annoyed, half apologetically.

Suzuna eyed the distressed teen up and down for a few moments cupping her chin in thought. The azure angel snapped her fingers and said, "I think I may have some clothes that will fit you back at my apartment. It's not a far walk from here. Come on!" and with that Suzuna grabbed Shidao's wrist and skated away dragging the poor girl along in her wake.

Out on the grid iron Dante saw this and chuckled deviously under his breath. This brought a strange look from Sena who raised his finger in question, but Dante cooed, "You just mind your own business Twinkle Toes, you'll get involved soon enough hehehe!"

Sena dropped his hand and blanched, with a gulp he stuttered, "I don't like the sound of this…"


	33. Coffee, Bananas, and Devils

Disclaimer: Any original characters are property of myself and myself only. Eyeshield 21 is a series created by Riichigo Inagaki and Yusuke Murata. All characters of Eyeshield 21 are property of the original creators, Shonen Jump and Viz Media. Any references to the NFL and its players are copyrighted by the NFL and credited to their respective teams.

Dear dedicated readers! I have a surprise for you! I have done an illustration of some of the Eyeshield Heart crew, you can view the drawing here at my deviant art page: http: /granite-skull .deviantart .com/#/d4c1f5r Just remove the spaces between the link for it to work. Please let me know what you think and I will try to add more as well.

"Why are we doing this…?" Sena and Suitokku both asked in unison, their faces both a scene of confusion and discomfort.

"Because! We wanna see what happens!" Suzuna and Dante both shushed in response.

The group of teens were carefully tailing Monta and Shidao as they meandered through Point Crest in search of a coffee shop. Naturally Sena was uncomfortable tailing his friend and protested at first but there wasn't any arguing with Dante and the cheer captain. His meek personality was easily engulfed by the two outgoing teens. Suitokku was also displeased with the situation but instead of meekly sitting by he complained about the subject by snipping sarcastically under his voice here and there.

"This is stupid. We should let them have their privacy…" the spiky haired leviathan muttered grumpily as the four of them peeked around the side of a building at the pair.

Sena added with a stutter, "Y…yeah… I mean come on Suzuna you wouldn't want them tailing us would you?"

"That's not the point!" She shot back, her antennae was going berserk at this point and was probably clouding her judgment as she spied on her friends.

Dante simply chuckled at the small girl's emphatic rebuttal and her lover's dismay. He continued to spy on the odd pair. The simian receiver and his mint colored escort had selected a small coffee shop called Junko Java and sat down at one of the patio tables. The hairy American spoke up with a harsh whisper, "They picked a place! Quick! Hide!" All the while he was giggling excitedly as he pushed Suitokku and Sena behind the nearest object to shield their presence. Meanwhile he and Suzuna were spying on the young duo closely. Suitokku let out an annoyed "Hmmph…" and crossed his arms while Sena whimpered nervously. Dante and Suzuna both peered around the corner of the wall concealing them with eager eyes.

Unaware of their nosy friends only meters away, Monta and Shidao made themselves comfortable at the intricately carved iron work table sitting neatly on the patio of Junko Java. It was a quaint little café, not quite as invisible as Bon Chance, but still peaceful. Monta had ordered a latte with a shot of banana flavoring while Shidao quietly ordered a chai tea latte for herself.

The pair of teens both sat quietly for several minutes not saying a word to one another. Both of them sat quietly with their hands in their laps and their eyes on the table. A light pink hue graced their cheeks and the color seemed to keep them locked in their silence like an emotional silencer.

Even at this distance Dante and Suzuna could see nothing was happening or going to happen soon. Suzuna grew irritated and began to tap her foot impatiently. She exasperatedly steamed, "Come on Shidao say something! This is your big chance! Don't let it slip away!"

Dante broke his stare on the pair and began to fumble around in one of the pockets of his baggy cargo pants and he pulled out a small yen coin. "Speak up you putz…" he muttered as he tossed the coin lightly up and down. Sena caught the motion and noticed Dante was eyeing up the distance between themselves and the apish teen.

"Dante don't!" Sena spoke, but it was too late. The bushy browed red head tossed the coin lighting in the air one more time, caught it, and then chucked it at the back of Monta's head like a bullet. The small coin sailed through the air for what seemed like hours, and Sena and Suitokku both unconsciously held their breath.

The tiny disc of metal smacked into the back of the apish teen's head and he yelped in surprise and turned in the direction of the projectile. He looked all over the streets in the direction of where a missile could have come from but didn't see anything suspicious. Meanwhile Dante and the rest of the crew had their backs plastered to their hiding space like comic tetris people trying to conceal their location. After another glance around Monta began to rub his head and wonder if he was imagining things.

"Is… is everything ok Raimon…?" Shidao asked tentatively still tilting her face towards her lap.

Monta's head swiveled on its axis and he began to rub the back of his head frantically with embarrassment and nodded up and down emphatically, "Oh yes! Nothing's the matter. I just thought something touched my head is all! Ahahahe…heee…" he laughed nervously.

"Oh… th… that's good." Shidao replied quietly.

"And please call me Monta." He smiled sincerely.

The mint haired teen only nodded and mouthed a silent ok in reply. She seemed to have a permanent shade of red stuck to her cheeks and a horrible problem with posture. The shy girl had been slouching ever since she sat down. Of course Monta didn't seem to notice.

The simian receiver relaxed his frantic movements and stared at the girl shyly. He'd never been out with a girl like her before… let alone a girl for that matter. She was wearing her hair down with a single pink hair band topped with a bow between her bangs and long mint green locks. Suzuna had set her up in a pink top with long sleeves and a pair of white khaki pants. Monta found himself blushing. _"She is really cute… but so shy. Well… I guess I'm not really striking up a conversation here either. I wonder what she is thinking." _

She was still blushing and was tilting her visage downward towards her lap. As she continued to avert her vision from Monta her mind raced like a rocket, "_Oh my god I'm actually sitting at a table with Monta! Oh I'm so nervous! This was all too sudden! I'm not ready for this! I… I can't even say anything! Ohhh… this is so embarrassing! O-h say something Shidao! Stupid stupid stupid!"_

Monta stared at her for a moment longer, completely ignorant to her internal struggle. He was about to speak but was interceded by the waitress arriving with their coffees. Taking a sip of the hot beverage he made a soft "Mmmmm" sound. When he brought his eyes back to view Shidao he found she was actually looking up at him from under her tilted position.

When Shidao noticed he was looking at her she managed to stammer, "I… I didn't know they had banana flavored lattes… Are…are they good."

Monta beamed, glad to finally have a conversation topic he replied, "Yeah they're delicious! Would you like to try it?" Holding the steaming beverage aloft, he offered her a sip.

Shidao popped up a little with surprise and blushed. Her eyes glanced about nervously for a moment before she quietly surrendered, "Yeah… s…sure." Monta handed her his cup and the girl took a small sip of the steaming brown liquid. The sweet taste of banana gently melded with the bitterness of the coffee and created a warm sensation as it made its way down her throat. The mint haired teen opened her eyes with surprise and pleasure, she even let a smile slip by and she said, "It is really good! How did you find this?"

The apish teen smiled and took the coffee back from her. He scratched the back of his head in thought before saying, "Well… I was just trying out different coffee places when I first got accepted to Enma. I normally just eat a banana for breakfast with my coffee." Monta paused to scratch his nose tape in a hint of embarrassment and admitted, "I actually used to dip my bananas in my coffee haha."

Shidao giggled at him and held her hand over her mouth as she did. It was a sweet sound and Monta like it. Usually girls laughed at him for different reasons and it felt different from the melodic sound that was coming from the mint haired girl sitting in front of him. And her smile, "_WOW"_ he thought, she had a beautiful smile! Monta suddenly felt a little bit more comfortable and continued his story. "Anyway I kept checking different coffee shops and found this place. They had a sign up at the time advertising different flavor shots for their coffee… I think they must have just opened recently before I first moved here or something. Anyway I glanced over their flavors and there it was… banana! SO I knew I had to try it…" He continued to make small talk and slowly chip away at the ice and Shidao giggled some more.

Back at the spy zone Dante mumbled with irritation… "He's talking about bananas…"

Suzuna slapped herself on the forehead and groaned, "That idiot…"

Sena shuffled back and forth on his feet and stammered, "C…come on guys let's leave them alone. Look Shidao is giggling so it can't be that bad right?" Dante and Suzuna's heads both seemed to rotate on a 360 degree axis and stared back at him exorcist style. Sena raised his hands defensively and waved them back and forth stuttering, "Or…or we c…could just sit here a while… aheh aheh ha…"

Suitokku was still leaning against the wall with his arms crossed across his chest and he "Hmmphed" in annoyance. He strained his head out around the alley in which they hid and he could see plain as day that the two spy targets were at least talking to each other now. "This is pointless…" the giant huffed and he heaved himself off the alley wall and snatched up Dante and Suzuna one in each massive hand. He tossed Dante over one shoulder and tucked Suzuna under his other arm. They both shouted out in protest of the giant.

"Suitokkun! What are you doing?" Suzuna pouted.

"Yeah Orca what the hell!" Dante clamored.

"I've seen enough… they broke the ice. They'll be fine. And they don't need us spying on them. I mean come on man show some dignity. Sena let's get outta here and let them be." The leviathan stated with finality and he turned on his heels and began to pace away with his two unhappy cohorts in tow.

Sena stammered, "Y…Yes!" and bolted off after his colossal friend.

"Dammit Orca you'll pay for this!" Dante growled as he began to punch the giants broad back with no avail.

"Yeah yeah whatever fuzzy…" Suitokku huffed.

"That's not fair Suitokkun! I wanna see what happens!" Suzuna pouted.

"I'm sure you can talk to Shidao all you want about it later… and I don't care what you say… if you found out you and Sena were being tailed by us I know you'd be pissed!" retorted the maritime giant.

Suzuna crossed her arms and pouted with fishy lips simply grumbling in silence, he was right after all. She would be pissed. "It's still not fair…" she whined while pressing her fingers together not unlike her lover's usual tick.

Suitokku simply "Hmmphed" and continued to stride away with his angry cargo in tow. Sena quickly followed after them but turned back towards his friend and the younger Sawai sister once more to whisper, "Good luck guys."

* * *

Back at Junko Java things had become a little more sociable. Shidao had begun to speak here and there and even smile, while Monta was slowly gaining more and more bravado around the cute girl. While the mutton chopped teen was still going on about bananas Shidao found herself scanning the receiver up and down. He was wearing a bright red t-shirt with a white silhouette of a surfer and waves on it and a pair of blue jeans that were tattered and torn at the feet. His hair was different from the last time she had saw him, it wasn't as spiky as it used to be. The new look kind of gave him a more mature feel and she liked it. The goatee was a nice touch too. It definitely made him manlier. And of course he still had those marvelous sideburns that she loved for some unknown reason even she could not fathom.

She found herself just staring into his eyes dreamily. Coffee and banana smells lingered in the air around their table and the warm scents made her feel more at ease. For some reason even though she was beyond nervous she also felt safe beside the young athlete.

Monta must have finally notices she was dazing off and asked, "Is… is everything alright miss Sawai? I… I don't mean to bore you."

Shidao jerked up in surprise and began to frantically fan her hands in front of her. "No! No! You're not boring me! Really!" she insisted. Quickly recomposing herself she added, "And please, call me Shidao."

The simian nodded bashfully and blushed. An awkward silence fell on the two of them for a few minutes and the hairy young receiver sipped at his coffee trying to find something to say. Surprisingly though, Shidao brought up a question for him.

"Umm… Monta-kun do… do you…?" She teetered off.

"Yes?" he asked with a raised eyebrow in oblivious curiosity.

The mint haired teen blushed and hid her face murmuring, "No… nothing never mind it was stupid anyway." She laughed it off half heartedly.

"What is it?" Monta asked with concern, his hand reflexively going across the table to touch hers. Shidao's face lit up like a firework when his strong hand grazed hers. Monta raised his eyebrow once more at the display of rouge colors and he noticed his hand was sitting atop hers gently. He drew back his mitt hurriedly in embarrassment and rubbed the back of his head in an attempt to make it look natural. "Sorry, I…"

"No… it's ok." Shidao barely whispered.

Silence once more fell on the pair as the once brightening atmosphere seemed to dim and darken. Monta slumped over having lost much of his previous bravado. He looked at her and saw she was once again retreating into her shy shell and he sighed. "I'm probably just making you feel uncomfortable aren't I? I never was very good with girls. Do you… do you want me to walk you to the train station?"

Shidao quickly shot up on her chair leaning onto the table, her eyes wide with fear. Monta was taken aback by her sudden action and sat back looking at her uncertainly. The mint haired teen realized how she was acting and forced herself to sit back down. "No Monta, please don't say that. I… I know this might sound a little weird but I actually feel a lot more comfortable around you than other guys. I don't know, there's just something about you that makes me feel… safe… And… well… I… I… kinda… like you!" Shidao finished with all the courage she could muster. She lowered her head until it was nearly touching the table, terrified to hear what Monta would say in response.

Monta's jaw ricocheted off the iron work table and his eyes nearly flew out of his sockets reminiscent of a Tex Avery cartoon character. Sputtering away in shock his mind raced, "_She WHAT? This incredibly super cute girl said she likes ME?"_ Monta's nostrils flared out and a derpy smile spread on his face. He quickly shook this expression away however and fought to control his joy and surprise. Sure he may not know a whole lot about this girl but what mattered was that she liked him, actually genuinely liked him! But what should he do? He didn't honestly know her enough to return the favor right now! Yeah she was cute but besides that all the more he knew about her was that she was Juri's super shy younger sister. Monta bit his finger anxiously and his eyes darted about looking for the right words to say.

"I'm very flattered Shidao… but I don't know you very well… I just met you…" Monta said slowly.

Shidao's face shot upwards; her eyes were filled with fear and rejection. Tears began to well in the corners of her yellow green orbs and she was about to run away but Monta touched her hand and stopped her cold.

"But… I would like to get to know you better." Monta offered with a smile that could melt butter.

The younger Sawai sister's dismay turned to elation and she grinned from ear to ear. "Really?" She squealed as she wrapped the monkey in a warm hug.

Monta awkwardly returned the gesture and said, "Absolutely."

* * *

Suitokku was still hauling his unhappy passengers a few blocks away from the blossoming couple. Sena padded along a few steps behind the leviathan as he strode down the street attracting a large amount of attention. One certainly didn't see someone as massive as Suitokku carrying a rabid red head and a little navy haired girl through the crowded streets of Crest Point every day. Dante was still trying vainly to free himself from the titans grip while Suzuna just went along for the ride.

The navy haired beauty finally surrendered, "Alright Suitokkun you can put me down now. I won't go back and spy on them… Just let me walk with Sena… this is embarrassing."

"That's better." Suitokku said as if speaking to a child. He gently placed the girl onto her feet and she skated towards Sena and locked arms with him. She was painfully conscious of the dozen of eyes staring their way and she tried to make herself smaller.

Sena could also tell she was still disappointed about not being able to spy on her friends and tried to comfort her. "Don't worry; I'm sure they'll be fine. I'll talk to Monta about it tomorrow and see how it went."

"Fuck tomorrow! I'm calling his ass tonight!" Dante barked from atop his maritime steed. Suitokku simple bucked his shoulder to silence the furry foreigner who exhaled at the movement. The American managed to wheeze, "Just you wait Orca… don't come bitching to me when you wake up with one eyebrow!" The oceanic colossus rolled his eyes and continued to march steadily.

Then there came a laugh that sent a chill down Sena and Suzuna's spines. A horrible dastardly "Kekekeke!" emanated only feet behind them. The two turned to see the blonde demon cackling at the scene before him. Hiruma had popped out of nowhere and was steadily making his way through the crowd towards the group of Enma teammates.

"Well well what have we here? Do you rent that ox by the hour or is it daily, eh fucking shrimp? Kekekeke!"

Suitokku turned towards his insulter and Dante took the moment of confusion to escape the leviathans grasp. He wrenched himself free and leapt from the titans shoulder landing halfway between Suitokku and Hiruma. Sena and Suzuna both held their breath. Dante and Hiruma had never met each other before. The brunette running back looked to his lover with fear and said grimly, "This could get ugly…"

Hiruma eyed the hairy foreigner with his toothy grin characteristically pasted on his face. The spiky haired demon cackled devilishly, "You must be the orangutan from that American zoo Enma recruited. Just goes to further prove that monkeys apparently can play football…" The charismatic demon shot a sideways glance at his former teammates. The young couple a few feet away caught the reference to Monta and feared the possibility that Hiruma had also been spying on the ape and his young date. That thought rapidly faded from their mind however when they heard what their American friend was about to say.

Dante's face twisted angrily for a moment and then morphed into a smug smile, "And who are you supposed to be? Snap Crackle or Pop? Does Kellogs know your lollygagging around in Japan?" Sena and Suzuna both blanched and their eyes grew as big as dinner plates. Both of the teens began to wave their hands frantically at the American in a gesture to cut it out. They both knew making fun of Hiruma could be a very bad idea. But Dante paid them no heed.

Hiruma narrowed his eyes and seethed, "Apparently you don't know who you're talking to, so I'll let that one slide you fucking ogre."

Dante quickly approached the pierced delinquent and jabbed a finger into his chest, "What'd you call me you Keebler looking sonuva bitch?" The American narrowed his eyes dangerously and pressed his face only inches away from the demonic quarterback.

Not deterred by Dante's imposing size or demeanor, Hiruma pressed back, "I'm sorry, did you not hear me? Is all that fucking hair clogging your ears or is it just all the ugly?"

The fiery American's right eye twitched slightly and he seethed through gritted teeth, "I don't think Santa would like it if he knew one of his little toy bitches was talking that way. Tell me does the big man have a good dental plan? Because I hope for your sake that he does."

At this point Hiruma drew his face away in disgust and made a face as if he'd smelled something rotten. "Holy fuck! Do all American's have breath that smells like shit or is it just you?" With each passing insult Sena and Suzuna became more and more pale. It seemed like their very souls were leaving their bodies.

Dante visibly bristled and he growled, "I'll fucking kill you! You pointy eared dungeons and dragons reject!" and with that the enraged foreigner leapt at the abrasive quarterback with a raised fist. But instead of moving forward he found himself being lurched backwards instead. Just in the nick of time Suitokku had grabbed the back of Dante's shirt and yanked him away from Hiruma, altogether preventing any altercations. The angry red head thrashed back and forth and bellowed, "Let go o' me you big lummox!"

Hiruma began to cackle uncontrollably and tears leaked merrily from his eyes. "Kekeke! I see your ox knows how to fetch too, although perhaps next time you should just keep your rabid dog on his leash to begin with eh?"

Boiling with anger Dante snarled, "Put me down Orca! Let me at em! Let me at em!"

Suitokku stared coldly at Hiruma and icily stated, "If he keeps up the insults I just may…" The way the usually calm leviathan said that sent chills down everyone's spines. Even Dante stopped trashing for a moment and glanced over his shoulder at the stern colossus. The uncharacteristically dark tone jarred his friends' preconceived perceptions of the maritime monster. The only one who seemed to be unperturbed was Hiruma. He just placed a stick of gum in his mouth and began to chew. He calmly walked up towards the simmering pair of newcomers.

Passively popping his gum Hiruma purred, "Luckily for you fucking ogres I have prior business I must attend to." He then specifically turned his attention to Dante and added, "Until next time fucking shit for breath." The demonic quarterback then marched away cackling all the way, "Kekekeke!"

"Graaaah! I'll Kill HIM!" Dante shook violently nearly freeing himself from Suitokku's haphazard grip on his t-shirt. The maritime giant quickly placed the fiery foreigner in a full nelson hold to subdue him. This only made the pissed off teen thrash and growl all the more.

"Calm down hairball you're making a scene!" Suitokku whispered harshly.

Dante continued to just make guttural growls and undecipherable curses towards the disappearing blonde. Sena and Suzuna quickly came over and joined Suitokku in his attempts to calm down the linebacker.

"Dante! Don't you know who that is? Are you crazy?" Sena screeched.

"I don't care who he is! No one talks to me like that!" Dante barked.

"You're lucky to be alive you idiot!" Suzuna scolded as she punched the American in the head.

"That was Hiruma! THE Hiruma!" Sena stammered.

The american's eyes opened wide with surprise and disbelief. "THAT little piece of shit was HIRUMA? You're Hiruma? The Demon of Deimon High?" Dante deflated in confusion. "No way… I don't believe you."

"YES! He is!" The young couple both shrieked in his ear.

"No way. The way Twinkle Toes described him I figured he'd be… like Godzilla or something. Not that shrimpy little fuck! Oohoooohhhh….. I wanna murder him!" Dante simmered.

Suitokku cut in saying, "You'll get your chance."

"Yeah if you LET GO of me I can still catch the fucker! Now let me loose!" the rabid red head snarled.

"That's not what I meant retard! Sena, isn't Hiruma Saikyoudai's quarterback?" the oceanic leviathan asked.

Sena nodded firmly, "Yes he is, but they're a long way off. We won't be facing them for a while."

"And if you go beat the tar out of him now you'll be banned for the season and get to watch him potentially kick our asses from the sidelines because you're not on the field." Suitokku scolded his friend.

Dante soaked it all in silently and was no longer thrashing about. He was still breathing haggardly but was calming down significantly. Glancing quietly amongst his friends he nodded to each of them and relaxed in Suitokku's grip. "Ok fine…" he surrendered. The colossal teen let him go slowly and Dante stretched out his neck from the head lock.

"So Saikyoudai huh?" Dante asked under his breath while glancing back at Sena.

The brunette running back nodded silently in reply.

"Alright then…" said the American darkly as he stared off into the direction where Hiruma had disappeared into the crowd.


	34. Shameless Intermissions

Disclaimer: Any original characters are property of myself and myself only. Eyeshield 21 is a series created by Riichigo Inagaki and Yusuke Murata. All characters of Eyeshield 21 are property of the original creators, Shonen Jump and Viz Media. Any references to the NFL and its players are copyrighted by the NFL and credited to their respective teams.

The bright morning sunlight peered into the small bedroom in which slept an apish looking teen. Yawning at the newfound day, Monta rose from his slumber and stretched out his arms. He rubbed away the remaining sleepiness from his eyes and sighed deeply. Jumping out of bed with a smile on his face the young receiver dove into a pile of clothes in the one corner of his room. Off went his pajamas and on went a "clean" pair of navy blue sweat pants and a red hoodie.

Quickly heading to his small nook of a kitchen the hairy little ape poured himself a glass of milk and tore into a couple of bananas. Once finished with his breakfast it was out the door and down the many flights of stairs in the apartment complex. It was time for his morning run and the side burned teen had an extra jump in his step this morning.

Starting off with a brisk jog as he hit the street he thought about the day prior. He thought of the accidental collision that led to a "date" where a beautiful young lady had confessed her feelings for him. As he thought about her his nostrils flared out and he blushed while a goofy smile spread across his face. He was happy he was able to get her phone number though. The simian teen figured he would give her a call soon to see if she'd like to get another coffee sometime.

After jogging for a little while he rounded the corner near Sena's apartment. The running back and he always went for a morning run during training camp to loosen up for the day's practice and just to socialize. Monta could see as he got closer to his friend's home that Sena was already waiting outside for him. The brunette teen was wearing a pair of gray sweatpants and a hoodie with a towel wrapped around his neck and was stretching out his legs as Monta approached.

Sena waved to his friend and said, "He-y Monta. Good morning."

Monta jogged in place near the runner saying between breaths, "Morning… Sena… Ready… to… go?"

Sena finished stretching out his legs and stood up taking a few bouncy steps in place saying, "Yep!" And with that the pair of them took off at a steady pace down the road. As they jogged a few blocks in silence Sena managed to ask, "SO… how did the coffee thing go with Juri's sister yesterday?"

Monta snorted through a blush and said to Sena, "Jeez you too? Dante already grilled me about it last night…" He paused looking to his friend, who had an uncharacteristic expression on his face that appeared as "_please tell me sir?" _The simian receiver surrendered, "Oh what the hell, I guess I can tell you. After all you told me about Suzuna." He took a deep breath as they continued to jog at a light pace and he continued, "It was a little awkward at first to tell you the truth. She was so shy and I was nervous because of how pretty she is so we didn't say a whole lot at first. But we got to talking about some things and it got more comfortable. But then I thought I said something that made her go back into her shell and I thought I was making her uncomfortable… SO I offered to take her to the train station. But then out of nowhere she starts getting… I don't know antsy I guess and she come out and confesses that she LIKES me MAN! WHOOOEEEEE!" Monta beamed as he jumped into the air excitedly.

Sena gasped with surprise and stammered, "S-she said she l-likes you?" He paused for a moment and a slight smile appeared on his face. "That's great Monta! Congratulations!" he shook his friends shoulder happily. "What did you tell her?" the brunette asked emphatically, wanting to hear how Monta had responded.

Monta blushed happily and flared his nostrils thinking back to the confession. A goofy grin crossed his face. He shook his head and coughed to clear his throat however saying, "Well… I… I told her that I didn't know her well enough to say the same…" He paused and then broke into another toothy grin blurting, "But I would like to get to know you more!" The grinning ape shoved his friend's shoulder amiably.

Sena smiled back and laughed a bit at that and said, "Congratulations Monta! I wish you the best of luck with Shidao!" The running back was truly happy for his friend. To be honest over the years he felt kind of bad for the receiver. It was obvious to everyone except him that he'd never be with Mamori, and on top of that the simian teen had to watch as Sena got fondled over by the plagues of girls after the Christmas Bowl as well. Granted Sena didn't really like all the extra attention he still felt bad about it considering Monta received little if any compared to him. But now a pretty young girl had actually approached him for a change and admitted to even liking him as well, and she liked football too!

They continued to jog on their normal route and after a few more blocks of Monta running with flared nostrils of ecstasy the apish athlete grinned a bit before asking his teammate, "Hey Sena… you know you never did tell me how your little beach vacation went."

Sena's face erupted in hues of bright red and he began to trip over himself stuttering like a moron. He had hoped after the time that had passed he was safe from giving out details… but unluckily Suitokku had seemed to only prove to be a temporary distraction about that trip. He twiddled his fingers and stuttered, "Er… well… it was nice… we h-had a g-good t-t-time. And then we ran into Suitokku and left early!" He finished trying to change the subject.

Monta wouldn't have any of that though and he nudged the brunette with his elbow suggestively, "Hey now don't go changing the subject! You know what I _mean_."

If Sena's eyes grew any larger they may have popped from the pressure and if his face grew any redder you'd think he became a tomato. He looked around for any distraction he could find but the brunette could feel his friend's eyes boring into his very soul. Somehow he seemed to think that somewhere somehow a red head and a demon were listening in and cackling devilishly over his predicament. Monta's gaze and leering grin were unrelenting and Sena finally blurted, "N-NO! A gentleman doesn't kiss and tell!"

Monta frowned and scoffed, "Oh you're no fun…" But then his face twisted back into a perverted leer. "Wait… kiss and tell? That means something did happen and YOU just don't want to admit it!" pressing one of his gnarly monkey fingers into Sena's chest when he said 'YOU'.

Sena immediately regretted saying anything at all thinking to himself, "_OH SHIT!"_ He quickly tried to cover his tracks saying, "N-no i-it's not wh-what you th-think Monta!" At this point the hairy receiver was just laughing and jogging away and Sena feared he may know his secret. The running back tore after Monta screeching, "Monta-!"

The girl with mint green hair was sitting in her bedroom that morning. She was busily filling out college applications. However her choices were a bit skewed considering a certain simian receiver's words the prior day. Enma's application sat atop the pile completed entirely, while the three or four other schools she was looking into sat underneath it, blank and desolate, likely to never be filled out. Entrance exams for the fall were only a week away and luckily for her she had been rather studious this summer and was not worried about them in the least. Granted Enma let just about everyone in anyway to meet enrollment quotas. But right now she was not busying herself with that any longer.

All night long her phone had been assaulted by wave after wave of texts from her sister and from Suzuna asking her how the date went. It had gotten to the point where it was so annoying she had even shut her phone off so she could sleep. But now that morning had come, she turned her phone back on to find an overstuffed inbox of much of the same. She uneasily grabbed her phone and reluctantly typed in a vague response to both of the girls.

"_We went out for coffee. Monta was very nice to me! He said he'd like to get to know me better 3!" _was all she typed into her phone before sending it to the cheerleader and manager. She set her phone back down with a dreamy sigh thinking of the receiver. Looking at the little plushy monkey on her desk she squealed in excitement taking up the stuffed animal in a big hug. "I can't believe he said he wanted to go on another date Raimonkey!" Yes she had named the stuffed animal after her formerly secret crush.

It was not long however until her phone was going off again with replies from the two nosy girls. Her sister had replied back with, "_Aren't you glad I made you come to practice little sister? Now you don't just have to think about him while you touch-" _and she closed the phone blushing furiously without reading the rest of her perverted sister's text. "Juri you're so mean!" She blurted in dismay. The mint haired teen instead turned her focus to Suzuna's text. Hopefully hers would be in a better mindset and more helpful.

Suzuna's text read: "_Way to go girl! I'm so happy for you! Good luck on your future dates with him! EEEEEEE 3!" _ Well now that was a lot better than what her sister had sent her. Shidao had to admit that she was really beginning to like Suzuna. Even though her personality was completely the opposite of hers, so far she has been a very good friend to her. It seemed as though Monta would not be the only thing to look forward to if she got accepted to Enma. The mint haired teen smiled with thoughts of a possible boyfriend and new best friend at the school she hoped to attend this coming fall.

The mahogany colored serpent slung heavily across the shoulders of the man with the lions mane of red hair. Calypso's black forked tongue flickered in and out as she slithered across his arms slowly, investigating her living perch. The bushy browed tight end linebacker hybrid patted the snake's side idly as she coiled around his upper body. His eyes however were fixedly focused on the television screen. He had been watching highlights of Hiruma nonstop once he had arrived home after his run in with the demonic blonde yesterday.

"Clever…" He murmured as the play where Hiruma handed the ball off to Sena and the running back tossed it back to Hiruma only to have the ball passed back to Sena thereafter in the Christmas Bowl. It was the very same play right before their onside kick attempt which led to Musashi's game winning field goal. Over the course of the night Dante had combed through all the possible game footage he had of the demon. And although he didn't like the pointy eared quarterback he had to admit he was a genius. He seemed to have a solution for every single problem and was always two steps ahead of his opponent. Even when times were dire it was his mind and strategy that kept them in the game. In fact the only time he seemed to be flustered in the slightest was in the Seibu game they had lost… and that quarterback, the one called "The Kid" who now played in the semi pro leagues. It would be very interesting to keep track of both of these players in the future. After all, the ligers could very well end up facing them both if they played their own cards right.

Of course when a knock resounded on his door he didn't hear it. Whether it was because of his own focus on the game footage or because Raining Blood by Slayer was booming from his massive stereo, one could not tell. Calypso lazily turned her head to the door and flicked her tongue passively. Whether or not she could sense if someone was there was also a mystery.

Again the loud banging could be heard on the door, and again the hairy foreigner did not hear. Outside Dante's room Suitokku was growing irritated. He could hear the ridiculously loud American Metal music blasting from within and new that the red head was deaf to his introductions. "Damn hair ball…" the oceanic leviathan muttered before banging on the door a third time. "OI! Open up you deaf bastard!" Suddenly the door opened and Dante was standing there with Calypso slung over his shoulders.

"Oh Orca… what do you want…?" He said with a yawn as he dug into one ear with his pinky finger.

Suitokku backed quickly to the wall opposite of Dante's doorway… that damn snake… With a disgusted look on his face the giant man stated, "You said you wanted to go out and do something today since we didn't have practice… and it's already ten in the morning…"

"SO…?" Dante asked as if it were a problem.

"What do you mean SO… half the day's wasted… " Suitokku mumbled while still keeping a wary eye on the python.

Dante laughed as he turned down the hallway towards the kitchen… "HAHA wasted? We're not going on a fishing trip dimwit… Noooo my friend, the day is but a fetus!"

Suitokku gave an incredulous stare towards his friend and begin to follow, giving Calypso a wide berth as he did. He did however catch out of the corner of his peripheral vision the paused game footage on Dante's television and he asked, "You weren't up all night watching game film again were you? Do you ever sleep?"

"I can sleep when I'm dead…" he replied dryly as he made his way down the long corridor of rooms.

"You keep that all nighter crap up and you will be…" Suitokku retorted as he followed behind.

"Whatever _mom_…" Dante sneered.

Suitokku just shot the American and annoyed scowl and grumbled as the pair entered the kitchen. The mammoth blond teen had already eaten breakfast that Winstead had prepared for him in spite of him telling the butler he didn't have to. He would never get used to being waited on by that old man. He watched with the same annoyed persona as the hairy linebacker opened the fridge and pulled out an energy drink and a big piece of cheese. Dante placed the block of cheese in his mouth as he cracked the can of jitter juice open. Suitokku just snorted out a laugh.

"Whut?" came the muffled reply from the cheese corked mouth of Dante.

"I have no idea how you're not a fat bastard…" Suitokku snorted.

Taking the brick of cheese out of his mouth he said, "Bite me… and your one to talk you bottomless pit…"

This only drew a dry laugh from the leviathan and the blond teen asked, "SO what did you want to do today anyway?"

Taking a bite out of the slab of cheese Dante chewed and swallowed the yellow cube before saying, "Were gonna go buy you some clothes… I'm tired of seeing you in the same rags every god damn day… you've got like 3 shirts… and you're beginning to smell…"

A shade of irritation and embarrassment flushed into the giants face. "HEY! What's wrong with my clothes?" he vented and tugged at his shirt, ironically tearing it slightly more.

Dante shoved more cheese down his throat and continued with a pointing finger, "ONE… they're rags… and TWO… because I'm TIRED of seeing the same fucking t-shirts… I'm buying your poor ass some new duds and you're gonna like it Orca."

Suitokku was embarrassed now. He didn't want any more charity than he had already received. "I don't want your charity Dante… I feel bad enough as is with all this." He said sweeping his hands up and outwards.

"Fuck that modesty shit! What the hell else would I spend it on? I don't need shit! You do! So just deal with it Orca! Fuck man if I were in your shoes I'd be milkin it for everything its worth!"

"Don't say that!" Suitokku shouted back. "I feel like a fucking parasite…"

Dante frowned at this and said, "Don't. You're helping the team. Think of it as payment if you have to, I don't give a shit… Either way you're getting some new clothes so bite your tongue you big lummox. Stubborn ass…"

Suitokku scowled at the foreigner. "Look who's talking…" He hated feeling in debt to him so much. Dante was a good friend but Suitokku had hardly returned any favors so far. He felt like a free loading bum. And if he ever learned the truth that Dante had paid for his way into Enma and that he hadn't actually won a sports scholarship… it would be even worse to say the least.

Dante just made mock talking movements with his hand and pursed his lips muttering, "Mehmehmehmehmeh! Just go get your stuff thick neck, we're leaving in ten minutes." The furry foreigner then chugged the rest of his energy drink and crushed the can against his forehead before echoing a loud burp. He tossed the can into the trashcan across the kitchen and then made his way down the hall to place Calypso back into her enclosure.

In the kitchen Suitokku leaned onto his hands against the island. He furrowed his brow and his mouth became a thin line. Closing his eyes and lowering his head he muttered a silent thank you, before slapping his hands off the table and turning to follow the red head.


	35. Tailors and Suitors

Disclaimer: Any original characters are property of myself and myself only. Eyeshield 21 is a series created by Riichigo Inagaki and Yusuke Murata. All characters of Eyeshield 21 are property of the original creators, Shonen Jump and Viz Media. Any references to the NFL and its players are copyrighted by the NFL and credited to their respective teams.

It was not long after Dante had almost literally dragged the blond behemoth down to Point Crest that they found themselves in a big and tall man shop. Suitokku looked up at the shop name and frowned, "Titanic Threads… really…?" his face was incredulous and he looked to Dante with disdain.

Dante just scoffed and shoved the big oaf inside. "Stow it cabin boy, now go get some new clothes before I burn the ones you have…"

Suitokku sighed and with a frown he trudged inside of the clothing store with his furry compatriot close behind him. The massive youth took a cursory glance around at the various racks of clothing, everything from t-shirts and jeans to three piece suits and the like. "I guess they have to cater to everyone's tastes…" he grumbled under his breath. Dante wandered off to begin looking at the clothes himself. They were far too big for him but he thought he'd just let Suitokku look around for a bit while he perused the wares himself.

From in between the various racks of clothing a rather tall man approached Suitokku and introduced himself. "Good day sir, is there anything that I can help you find?"

The maritime giant turned to regard the man, he was about as tall as he was but nowhere near as thick in any way. Not quite what one would say was thin, but his great height did give him a gangly appearance for certain. Suitokku paused a moment before saying, "Uh… I guess I'm looking for a few things… not really sure where to start…"

The salesman's eyes lit up at that admition and he said courteously, "I would be more then happy to oblige in helping you find some new threads my fellow mountain of a man. In fact if you know what size you are I can indicate which section would…" he paused with a chuckle and added, "Best fit you."

Again Suitokku paused not quite sure himself of his technical size and said, "Uh… I'm not sure… most of my stuff is just whatever I could find that would fit…. Lots of x's to go with the l's…"

From somewhere hidden in the valley of tall clothing racks the American could be heard blurting, "They don't make a tent size…" followed by chortling laughter as he faded once more into silence.

An annoyed sigh escaped from the lineman and he said with a hand wave in the direction of the voice, "Ignore him…"

The tall man chuckled and said, "Not to worry, I've heard them all I assure you…"

"Don't tempt him…" Suitokku was quick to add.

This only drew another chuckle from the man who was giving Suitokku a once over and said after some examination, "Well judging from your thickness and height I would say at least a three or four x in the shirts would suffice… waistline…?"

Suitokku gave a slight nod saying, "Oh uh… 46…" and continued to give the man whatever other help he could in figuring out what size clothing would best accommodate him massive body. Meanwhile in the background Dante was mentally checking off each size in his head and was already rummaging through the clothes picking out various things here and there and piled them onto his shoulder to add to whatever the massive mariner would pick himself.

Begrudgingly Suitokku managed to pick out three outfits that he liked and when the sales associate took him up to the counter the massive lineman gasped at the sight. Dante was waiting there for them with a huge pile of clothes sitting there as well. The maritime giant marched over to Dante and asked incredulously, "What the hell is all this?"

"More clothes… since I knew you'd be modest and only pick out like two shirts…" the red haired American responded coolly.

"Dante this… this is too much man…" responded the blond while shaking his head.

"Shut up." Dante snipped back, and without giving him a second to argue about it he said to the employee. "Ring it up Kareem Abdul Jabar…" and held up a credit card between two fingers. Of course at the sight of the massive sale he was about to land the gangly employee was practically licking his lips and took the card without hesitation.

Suitokku quickly got between Dante and the pile of clothes and looked him straight in the eyes and said, "This is not cool man… I feel like a heel… I can't accept this…"

Dante's eye twitched and he pursed his lips in a sour expression before growling, "I don't care! Deal with it! Pay it back on the grid iron then you crybaby!"

When the cashier rung up the bill and announced the rather… expensive total Suitokku blanched, "That… it's so expensive… are you really sure Dante?"

That caused the American to boil over, "JESUS CHRIST JUST SHUT UP! You know how much money I fucking have? I could wipe my ass with million yen bills every fucking day and never run out of money! AND I SHIT A LOT! SO just shut the FUCK UP about it!" He threw his hands up in the air in a flourish and exhaled vehemently.

This outburst made both men on the receiving end feel about three inches tall and the cashier tentatively handed the credit card back towards Dante, "Would y-you l-like me to box these up for you sir?"

To his surprise Dante turned right around to face him with a pleasant smile and said very politely, "Yes thank you kind sir." And then turned back towards Suitokku with a grouch expression and simmered.

Suitokku simply sighed with a sad frown and looked back at the mountain of new clothes… this was getting to be too much, first the place to stay… then this… it was just… too much. He had never once been shown this kind of generosity, this often. It made a sick feeling in the pit of his stomach. "I… owe you big time…"

Dante just rolled his eyes and said with distaste, "Whatever… kill some quarterbacks and I'll consider it paid…"

The blond behemoth turned to face Dante and said, "No… seriously… thank you… I… I know I'm stubborn about it… but… I've never had anything like this happen to me… its… a little much to accept…"

The fiery demon's visage softened and he sighed, "Look I know you come from a poor family… but if a friend wants to help you out then just take it… especially if its someone who can afford it… seriously Orca… what the literal fuck and I going to spend it on… what the fuck do I actually need? Nothing… so zip it and let it go… your whining hurts my ears."

Suitokku rolled sighed through gritted teeth and he said, "Fine… you win…"

Dante put on a coy smile and said, "Good… now let's go. Winstead's bringing the car around to pick this crap up then we can go do something more fun."

"The… car?" the massive teen asked, haunting thoughts of a micro mini cooper came flooding back into his head.

"Yeah… my dad brought some of his toys overseas with him… Winstead's bringing one of them around to pick up our haul."

An uneasy feeling entered the pit of Suitokku's stomach again as he began to worry about what kind of vehicle Dante's father would drive. Wait, come to think about it… "Dante… how come I haven't met you da yet?"

Dante's face shadowed over and his normally vibrant expressions seemed to just disappear into a vague darkness. "I doubt that you even will… he's always working… always… If you're worried he won't approve of you being there don't… because he's never there anyway… so he can just deal with it."

A shudder tingled its way uneasily down Suitokku's spine. Dante's words felt so cold at that moment. "I take it you and your da don't get along well…?"

The bushy browed American furrowed those very eyebrows into an angry frown… "Yeah… you could say that…"

He hesitated a moment as the boxes of clothes were all bagged up and he asked, "Can I ask why?"

A cold resounding "No." issued forth from Dante's lips and that would be the end of it.

Instead of pressing further Suitokku just kept his mouth shut as he took the bags. He carried them outside in a strained silence only to see a stretch limo parked along the sidewalk. At this his face evened into one of disbelief. "You're kidding right…?"

Dante waltzed out with some more bags as Winstead stepped out of the vehicle to open the back door to allow the teens to deposit their bags. The fiery red head chucked the bags into the back unceremoniously and said, "Nope, and thanks Winstead. I didn't feel like carrying those around all day."

"Not at all Master Dante." The kindly old man replied with a bow.

Meanwhile Suitokku was beat red at the dozens upon dozens of stares shot their way from the various passerbys of Point Crest. He quickly shoved his bags inside and tried to make himself seem smaller. "This is so embarrassing…" he cursed under his breath. He wasn't used to this at all. On the other hand Dante was tossing a wink to a cute girl that walked by, she giggled and quickly continued on her way. "How are you so… oh never mind…" Suitokku huffed at the American.

"What?" Dante asked as if oblivious to his actions.

Suitokku was about to respond when a sudden familiar pair of voices interrupted him.

"Dante! Suitokku! Hey guys! WHOEEEE IS THAT A LIMO?" Monta blurted as he jogged up beside the pair with Sena beside him.

"Is that your car Dante?" Sena asked with equal surprise at the sight of the stretch limousine.

Dante rose a hand in greeting and replied, "Nah it's one of my old mans… I don't like Limos… but they do have a lot of room for crap." While shutting the door on the many bags of clothing he had just dropped a bunch of money on.

From behind Dante the wrinkled old butler bowed and said politely, "It is a pleasure to see you again Master Twinkle Toes. And you must be Master Mitts."

Monta simply gawked between the limo, Dante, and the old man before pursing his lips in confusion and raising on suspicious eyebrow. "How does he know my nick name…?"

This drew a laugh form Dante and he replied, "This is my family butler Winstead,"

Suitokku at this point was holding an embarrassed hand over his face and he said, "Hey guys…" his voice was soft and had a defeated tone to it.

Sena quickly picked up on this and shuffled over to the mammoth man and asked, "Is everything ok?"

The maritime giant was about to respond but was cut off by Dante, "He's just butt hurt because I spent money on stuff for him and he's playing his pity poor man card." The comments drew a harsh glower from the lineman and he simply stuck his tongue out at him in return.

Monta however was just dumbfounded… "Wait… limo… butler… YOU'RE RICH WHOOOEEEE?!"

Dante dug a pinky finger into his nose and replied in boredom, "Yeah so… I'm also hairy… what's it matter…?"

Sutiokku just shook his head, "I told you…"

"WHAT? It's not my fault! Blame my dad! He's the rich one I'm just spend it!" Dante exclaimed. However out of the corner of his eye he could see Monta staring at the limo with a gleam in his eye. He chuckled coyly and asked, "Want to go for a ride?"

Monta's eyes lit up like a kid on Christmas morning and he squeaked, "Can we?!"

Sena too had to admit a boyish curiosity at the thought of riding in a limousine, and his eyes too held that childlike twinkle. "That might be fun actually…" he stammered with a sheepish little smile.

Suitokku was frowning sternly at this and said, "You can't be serious..."

But to his dismay he found a hairy red arm had stretched up to wrap around his shoulder, "Oh come on Orca you know you wanna. Besides you don't want to be the party pooper and ruin their fun do you?"

The blonde behemoth stared down at the two pipsqueaks who were jutting out their lower lips like begging little puppies… "Ahh… dammit…" he sighed in defeat.

Monta jumped into the air and yipped, "WHOOOEEE! Yosh! Let's go, let's go, let's go!"

Sena laughed at his friend's enthusiasm and could help but admit he was rather excited about it too, he'd never been in a limo before after all.

Dante just chuckled and patted Suitokku's shoulders, "Take a lesson Orca… just have fun sometimes big guy…" He then walked around and said to Winstead, "Change of plans Winstead, let's take a ride."

The old butler nodded and said with his usual curt tone, "Yes, Master Dante." He held the door open for the boys to enter the limo and wore a soft smile.

* * *

Shidao had just finished the rest of her college applications and was carrying the envelopes out to her mail box so they could be shipped out. She was wearing a pair of black sweatpants and a pale yellow hoody as she hadn't really planned on anything other than staying in today. After depositing the mail into her post box the young woman went to return to her home but a familiar voice caught her attention.

"Shidao! Hey Shidao! How are you…" came the all too familiar voice.

The younger Sawai sister cringed and shrank down a bit and began to fiddle with her hair. Why did she have to run into him today? She wasn't even out in public! She just wanted to mail in her applications. The shy teen only half turned, looking at the boy with one eye and quietly acknowledged him… "H-hello K-Kohando…"

From behind her gated front yard the boy known as Kohando waved to her. He had long slick black hair and feathery eyebrows. He had slate gray eyes that had a gleam that would make any girl's heart melt, and a smile to match. His build was sleek and toned, he was an athlete of some kind or another. He was always asking Shidao to come to one of his meets. If she remembered correctly he was a gymnast of a sort trying out for the Olympics. He brushed some bangs out of his face and gave the bashful girl one of his trademark smiles too. "You are looking beautiful as always Shidao."

She blushed and turned away hiding her face as she pulled on her hair nervously hand over hand. Kohando always made her feel so uncomfortable. She was always on edge around him. His charm might have other girls eating out of his hand but it unnerved her. However the timid teen replied with barley a whisper, "T-thank you…" Wow did she really want to run back inside and hide under her covers with her stuffed monkey right now.

He leaned onto the gate and asked a suavely as possible, "So Shidao are you doing anything today? I thought you might like to get some coffee or perhaps some lunch?"

Her face was burning with embarrassed fear. This was so awkward that it was painful. She quickly shot him down saying, "S-sorry… I have to fill out some applications today… and my s-sister is meeting me for t-tea in a little bit."

Kohando frowned and said, "Aww are you sure? It's such a lovely day out? Perhaps a short walk then?"

Shidao found herself edging towards her door and she hesitantly said, "N-no thank you… I really sh-should be going. Thanks though…" and she quickly ducked inside shutting the door behind her and pressing her back up against it whispering to herself, "Please go away… please, please, please…"

At the gate Kohando's smile quickly turned into a annoyed frown. He let out a disgruntled sigh and turned to walk away patting his hand against his thigh in defeat. "Why does she turn me down every time…? All the other girls eat out of my hand… why is she so… grrrrr." He clenched a fist at his side and just shook his head. "Someday…" he murmured. "Someday…" as he departed down the street. Leaving the poor upset girl to worry and hide away.

Note from the Author.

Hello everyone, it has been quite a long long time. I feel I must shortly address and apologize to my faithful readers who have been waiting for over a year now for an update. I had gotten 2 jobs and was working through college, so needless to say I had very little time to write. Some good news, I got married and am starting a family as well. I don't have any kids yet but perhaps someday soon. I am nearly finished with school and am currently on winter break and I plan to try and get a few chapters out now while I can! And continue working on more throughout the new year. Again apologies all around for the extremely delayed update and I hope you all enjoy and continue to read and leave reviews. Thanks and happy reading!


	36. Progression Regression

Disclaimer: Any original characters are property of myself and myself only. Eyeshield 21 is a series created by Riichigo Inagaki and Yusuke Murata. All characters of Eyeshield 21 are property of the original creators, Shonen Jump and Viz Media. Any references to the NFL and its players are copyrighted by the NFL and credited to their respective teams.

A few weeks had passed and the Enma ligers had gotten a few team practices under their belts. However given the fact that they had only enough players to play one side of the ball in full form, their practices were split into half on half. Kurita mostly worked with Suitokku simply because of their similar sized builds. However Mizumachi did work with the fellow tall man in order to help teach him some various techniques, particularly the swim which would be beneficial to the behemoth given his height and reach. Even Chuubou was able to give the big man some pointers on shorter lineman techniques.

Meanwhile like Dante had advised, Sena was working on hands drills with Monta to learn to be a better receiver. It was difficult for him to at first and Monta was trying his best to explain his techniques but it wasn't easy to teach something that came so natural for him.

"WHOOOOEEEEE! You're trying too hard!" Monta groaned as Sena dropped another perfectly thrown pass from Unsui.

"ACK!" Sena yelped as his friend screeched. "I-I'm sorry! I just can't catch anything as easy as you."

Monta groaned once more and cupped his chin in thought. "I don't get it. I've taught you how to place your hands. What do to get in a better position to catch. WHOOEEE!"

"I'm trying!" Sena replied with angst. He was stammering and starting to clench up when Unsui approached them with an explanation.

The nearly bald quarterback came up next to the pair and said, "Sena you'll get better with practice, but Monta he's never going to be able to catch the football like you. Your hands are bigger and stronger than Sena's. We'll just have to continue practicing and hope for the best on Sena's improvement. Hopefully in an in game situation Sena will pull through. Even more hopefully we won't be in a position for Sena to need to play catch for us to win."

Sena and Monta turned to regard their quarterback. Monta frowned at the explanation and crossed his arms in disappointment and said, "Still…"

Meanwhile the running back nodded with a bit of relief. He sighed softly at the simian receiver's reaction and said, "Don't worry Monta. I'll keep practicing but… like Unsui said, hopefully we won't have to worry about it. After all we have you and Dante right?"

Monta snorted and replied, "True but three receiving threats would be better then two…"

The wild haired brunette only sighed at his friends words and hung his head slightly, "I'll try harder…"

Unsui patted the running back's shoulder with a chuckle and said, "You'll get better. Just be patient." The balding quarterback looked back toward the line group who were still smashing into each other. As much as it pained him to say it, Suitokku looked very raw. The maritime giant needed a lot of practice or he was going to get schooled on the field in technique and experience alone. He winced as he watched the big man fall forward onto his face when Mizumachi got the better of him with his favorite move, the swim.

Suitokku pounded his hands into the ground and cursed in English, "Dammit!" He quickly pushed himself back up onto his feet angrily and let out a huff of air in grump. "You sneaky bastard! How do you keep doing that?" He was easily the low man on the totem pole when it came to hand techniques, and although Kurita and the others were teaching him as much as they could; he still only had a month's experience compared to their years and years' worth.

Mizumachi simply shrugged and said, "I dunno, just doing what I do man. You just don't have the skills yet I guess?" The gangly blonde stuck a pinky in his ear and made a fishy face before flicking away the wax he dug out.

Kakei stood nearby and added, "Even so, Suitokku… your reach and strength should beat Mizumachi sometimes…" He took off his helmet and further explained. "When someone like Mizumachi uses his reach and height to swim… someone like you should use your strength and push him back when the move gets executed… Like when Komusubi did it in our first game years ago."

The gangly former Poseidon's eyes lit up at the name. "HEY yeah! I remember little Omusubi! I definitely didn't think he'd get the better of me that game with his rip move." Mizumachi then turned to Kurita and asked, "How is he by the way? Do you still keep in contact with him?"

The rotund center removed his helmet and nodded saying. "Oh yes! He and his father work together with his delivery company." The chubby cherub faced lineman was about to continue talking about his former teammate when Suitokku interrupted.

The colossal teen held up his hands asking, "Whoa whoa slow down. I get the swim, what's the rip and who's this Komusubi guy?" He was quickly getting lost once more.

Kurita quickly explained, "Oh Komusubi was a teammate of ours back at Deimon when we won the Christmas Bowl. He was one of the lineman."

Mizumachi chuckled and added, "And he was about this tall." He then held his hand at around his waist to indicate the lineman's height.

Suitokku's face quickly twisted with confusion and disbelief, "Wait a minute… you mean to tell me someone that short beat you and your reach when you're mopping the floor with me?"

At this question the stripping prone lineman huffed and crossed his arms, a pout forming on his face. Beside him Kakei sighed and explained, "Komusubi had more upper body strength then Mizumachi. Nowhere near you or Kurita granted, but still stronger than us. He used that and a quick snap off the ball as well as a technique called the rip to beat Mizumachi. But… the rip won't really be quite up your alley unless you're playing someone near your height. It's a technique better suited for shorter lineman to use to get under a taller one… Um Chuubou can demonstrate I think?"

Upon hearing his name Chuubou finally joined the conversation saying, "Oh sure! Granted it's not my preferred technique but I can do it well enough." He put back on his helmet and asked, "Mizumachi care to be my opponent?" The taller lineman nodded and popped his helmet back on before getting into his stance. Chuubou lined up opposite of Mizumachi and spoke as he went through the motions of the technique. "The rip requires the use of one's upper body strength, mostly the arms." He tucked his elbow in next to his torso and pressed around the side of Mizumachi and as the taller lineman jabbed his arm downwards to 'counter' the move Chuubou exerted his force upwards and into the former Poseidon, effectively pushing him aside as the shorter male executed the rip. "Just like that." He finished before taking his helmet off again to face the giant teen.

Suitokku nodded with keen interest as he watched and said, "And that's something you think wouldn't be suited for me?"

Kakei quickly rose his hands and said, "Not necessarily no. Anything is possible. Hell even Gao was able to execute the delta dynamite. But even then it was against probably the best lineman in our age group in the world, he didn't have much of a choice. But for you it just might be difficult to execute given your height is all. You could probably easily do it against someone who was tall enough where you could get under them and do what Chuubou just did. But since you're pretty much the tallest lineman in Japan now since you've got an inch on Mizumachi and I that's not likely something that will happen often. Actually the swim would probably suit you better, but that's a bit more complicated as you have seen…"

The blonde behemoth crossed his massive brick pillar arms and grumbled under his breath. "Great so basically I'm going to get my ass beat by anyone who has good technique." He shook his head with a frown and sighed.

Again Kakei interceded saying, "Not necessarily. Gao was a rookie much like you and he overwhelmed his competition simply with strength alone. But keep in mind he became all the more deadly when he began to learn lineman techniques as he went. He was intelligent and fierce. You may very well take a similar path."

Suitokku nodded and said, "So what's the difference between Gao and I starting off then?" he was still trying to figure something out to give him something to fight better with.

Mizumachi laughed and joked, "His hair!" this only drew a swat to the back of the head from Chuubou. "OWWW!" whined the lineman.

Chuubou explained further, "Gao was ruthless in his pursuit… he literally injured almost every quarterback he played against… and on the offensive side of the ball he simply pushed ahead and Marco followed him. It was very straight forward. They literally just used his strength to win. He was stronger then everyone, the only lineman that could stop him was Kurita here."

At this Suitokku looked over to Kurita with more respect before turning back to the others and asking, "So… is that the plan with me then?" He hadn't really had the opportunity to 'kill' a quarterback yet because they didn't want to hurt Unsui and he only had a few linemen to go up against at any one time.

Mizumachi and Kakei exchanged glances that said they weren't sure of an answer. Kurita however did butt in and said, "For the time being that's probably what we will do. In the meanwhile we'll keep teaching you what we know to get you ready with the more experience that you get." The big jolly puff ball rested his hands on his sides and nodded confidently with his words.

Chuubou added quickly, "And get mean! Lineman are the big nasties in the middle! We control the line of scrimmage and dictate the game! So don't hesitate!"

The large mariner looked between them all and simply nodded. He still had a lot to learn, but until then he'd have to rely on his muscle. "Alright then… come on Mizumachi, let's go again."

His gangly tutor grinned devilishly and said, "You got it fish head," and popped his helmet back on before lowering into a three point stance. They stood in their stances like stone gargoyles until Chuubou blew the whistle, and then they both exploded forward.

Mizumachi quickly side stepped as Suitokku erupted towards him and brought his long arms up around the larger lineman's head planting his arm against the giant's shoulder. Suitokku could already feel the swim turning into a reality and growled surging forward with his forearm into Mizumachi's chest. When he felt his elbow connect to the former Poseidon he grunted and gave a hearty shove, extending his arm and sending Mizumachi onto his ass a few feet backwards through the air and rolling onto the ground in backwards circles.

As the lean lineman was rolling around in a daze to get to his feet, Suitokku was standing still staring at his arms. A slow semi smile grew on the big man's face until it enveloped his jaw, "I did it!" he pumped his fist in victory, "Finally! Yes!" He shook a bit when a massive hand planted onto his shoulder in congratulations.

"I knew you could do it Suitokku!" Kurita laughed jovially as the bubbly fellow bounce up and down in joy upon Suitokku's success. Around his group of teammates were similar calls of congratulatory nature and the big man nodded confidently at this point. Meanwhile Mizumachi was sitting up and shaking his head woozily.

"Holy crap… you pack a wallop…" the former Poseidon wheezed as Suitokku came over to help him to his feet. "You do that in a game and the other lineman are gonna cower in fear…" he continued hesitantly with a weak laugh.

Once his fellow teammate was on his feet Suitokku apologized saying, "Heh sorry about that…" The large mariner rubbed the back of his head awkwardly.

Kakei however was the first to say, "Don't be, if you can do that on the field it's going to help us tremendously… and don't worry about hurting anyone, accidents happen. So long as you're not purposely targeting someone I don't think you should hold back because of that fear."

"Plus if you are the one that strikes fear in the opponent then you have the upper hand!" Chuubou was quick to add.

Suitokku padded the air replying, "No no I get that… I just meant here and with Mizumachi… won't help us if I hurt my own teammates in practice right."

A still woozy Mizumachi jolted his arm upward in agreement, "Here here!" before swaying off to the side to be caught by Kakei. This drew an awkward laugh from the guy who knocked him on his ass.

Over on the sidelines a joyful squeal broke the silence. Juri cocked and eyebrow at the source of the noise, which was of course Suzuna. "What? What's so exciting?" asked the team manager curiously.

The squealing cheer captain was wiggling over some text message she had just received and she swiveled to look squarely at Juri and blurted, "Why didn't you tell me your sister got accepted to Enma?"

Juri rolled her eyes and said nonchalantly, "Oh that. I just found out yesterday myself, it must have slipped my mind this morning to tell you."

Suzuna pouted and rolled over to the team manager, bapping her on the arm as she did so. "How could that slip your mind? Aren't you excited about your sister coming here?"

The blue bell of a girl sighed and looked to Suzuna replying, "Of course I am… I'm just worried she's coming here for the wrong reasons. With her grades she could have gone anywhere she wanted but she chose here. And I'm pretty sure I know why." She then nodded to the field where Monta and Sena were still running receiving routes while Unsui tossed them balls.

Suzuna's blue eyes followed her friend's to the field and she frowned. "What's wrong with that?" she turned her attention back to Juri and added, "Isn't it romantic?" Her voice was sweet and filled with love as she clasped her hands over her heart.

The elder Sawai sister shook her head and said, "It's stupid is what it is! Sure she has a crush on him and they agreed to get to know each other better but what then? What if Monta decides he doesn't like her like she likes him? What if he breaks her heart?"

"Monta wouldn't do that!" Suzuna was quick to defend.

"Well no maybe not on purpose! But you guys can't force them to like each other!" Juri retorted before calming herself and explaining, "Look I'm not saying I hope everything works out for them and all that. I'm just worried my sister is getting way too ahead of herself here. Seriously think about is Suzuna… they've known each other for a few weeks and she's basing her education on it."

The navy haired cheerleader was about to argue but, she couldn't against that logic. Instead she turned a worried glace towards Monta and said, "I guess I never thought of it that way… but I… I just can't see Monta doing something like that to her."

Juri sighed slowly and said, "I don't either but it wouldn't surprise me either. Some things just happen like that. He may mean no harm at all by it but if he rejects her she would be crushed. I'm just worried about her. But I know I can't convince her otherwise."

Suzuna nodded slowly and replied, "And it may work out for the best anyway, like it did for me and Sena." The girl's voice was hopeful now, she really did want it to work out for Shidao's sake. However, something was poking at the back of her mind, and it had been for a little bit now. She shook the thoughts of Shidao out of her mind and glanced around. "Hey-. Where's Dante? I haven't seen him yet today?"

Glad for the change of subject Juri looked to her friend and shrugged, "I'm not sure. He's never late for practice. I hope he's ok…"

The cheer captain nodded in agreement adding, "Yeah… and he hasn't been answering my texts or calls… not that he usually does right away but still…" Her eyes took to her phone once more to check for a reply from the hairy lug but there were none. "You don't think he got into an accident or anything did you?"

"I hope not!" Juri replied before adding, "Is there any other way to reach him?"

Suzuna wracked her brain to think if there was and she said, "Sena said he has a butler but I don't think either of us has his number. OH DOY!" she smacked her forehead, "Suitokku lives with him he would know!" She skated onto the field a bit and blew her whistle loudly before shouting, "SUITOKKUN GET OVER HERE!"

Out on the field the line group flinched at the verbal outburst and Suitokku stood up straight, opening his mouth in surprise before blowing out a huff of air. He turned to his teammates and said, "Uh… ok… Be right back." He then jogged over to the sidelines, his pads making soft audible noises at he moved; his already foreboding size only made bigger by the form of the enormous shoulder pads. The maritime giant completely dwarfed Suzuna's slight frame as he plodded up beside her on the sidelines. "Yeah?"

Completely undaunted by his immense size she looked up at him and asked, "Where is Dante? Is he not coming to practice today?"

Suitokku tilted his head at the question and when it registered that he had forgotten to tell them his face illuminated with embarrassment, "Awww I can't believe I forgot to tell you guys why he isn't here. He was puking his guts out this morning we think it was food poisoning from some nasty thing he ate yesterday…"

Suzuna gasped as her hands covered her mouth in shock, "Is he ok?"

The colossal youth frowned and said, "I'm sure he'll be fine… but he can't very well practice when he's spewing from both ends."

She cringed at that and waved her hands stopping him from going into further detail, "Got it… No more details… please…" She shuddered at the nasty details once more and shushed him away, "Go… just… go hit people now."

He nodded, shutting up at the girls reaction and turned to return to the field to indeed hit people, breathing under his breath, "You owe me for this gingerbread man…"

And some miles away said gingerbread man was sitting in a leather chair, in a suit across from a table that was lined with other gentlemen in suits. At the head of the table was a man with a strong jaw and a face that shouted power. His eyes were grey and clear full of confidence and the wrinkles that creased his brow were ones aged with wisdom. The edges of his hair were greying by the ears and he spoke with authority.

Dante sat with his arms crossed, an eternal frown on his face as he listened to the man blather. His normally wild lion's mane of a hair do was pulled back and slicked into a well-kept pony tail. He hated this, getting all dressed up and being forced to sit in on this meeting. The fiery foreigner's lips began to twitch into a sneer the more he heard the man speak.

The authoritative man at the head of the table noticed this and stated, "Is there a problem Dante…?" his voice was deep and solid.

Dante snapped out of it and focused his eyes on the man, an underlying hatred seething from them. "No… father…" he snorted grumpily as the eyes of all the other businessmen at the table were drawn to him.

The head man paused for a few moments simply staring at his son before continuing, "I apologize for my son's lack of enthusiasm for the quarterly reviews, but as one of the majority shareholders he does have to sit in on the meetings." This statement seemed to be aimed more directly at Dante himself rather than the men around the table. And the fiery linebacker knew it.

As the meeting finally let out the father and son waited by the door as the other executives left. Dante's father shook each of their hands as they left and respectively wished them well. Dante himself on the other hand had his arms shoved deep into his pockets as he defiantly ignored them. When they had all left his father turned to him with a scowl.

"Are you proud of yourself?" he demanded in an even and strong tone.

Dante replied with a sneer, "Proud of what I didn't say a damn word…" the aggravated athlete took the pony tail out of his hair and shook his head from side to side, once more freeing his lion's mane.

"You could have at least pretended to not hate this. This is going to be your company someday." His father retorted harshly.

Dante jammed his hands back into his pockets and grumbled, "Oh joy… I cannot wait…" and stuck out his tongue in disgust. He wanted nothing to do with this damn company. All these hotels and the like could shove it for all he cared. All he wanted to do was play football and more than that, not deal with his father. "Are we done now? You made me miss practice for this fucking crap."

"It is not crap Dante, and watch your mouth." He scolded as he smacked the back of his head. "You need to start taking this seriously Dante, you can't always play football and you can't always get what you want. One of these days you're going to have to grow up and get on with your life."

He angrily swatted his father's hands away and pointed a finger into his face. "I don't want to fucking hear it god dammit! You and this company can shove it!"

"Dante!" his father barked angrily.

"NO! You don't get to be a father anymore, you missed your own daughter's funeral because of this fucking company so just shove it old man!" Dante shouted back. The trembling teen was raging inside and out, his fists clenched tightly at his sides as his teeth grinded together. He lowered his head frowning deeply before pushing past his father and taking off down the hall.

In the room Dante's father was similarly raging. He punched the wall out of anger leaving a hole in it. Slowly he brought his other hand over his face and let out a shaky sigh. What was he going to do?


	37. Tomorrow Comes Today

Disclaimer: Any original characters are property of myself and myself only. Eyeshield 21 is a series created by Riichigo Inagaki and Yusuke Murata. All characters of Eyeshield 21 are property of the original creators, Shonen Jump and Viz Media. Any references to the NFL and its players are copyrighted by the NFL and credited to their respective teams.

A few weeks passed by as the Ligers groomed their new recruits. Sena continued to train with the receiving group while the line group slowly progressed. Kurita and his underclassmen did their best to teach Suitokku all they could, but he was still very green around the ears. Suzuna had a small celebration to welcome Shidao to Enma's ranks and failed miserably to try and lure her to the cheerleading squad. And on the eve of Enma's first game of their fall season, rookies and veterans alike were nervous and excited for the coming day, some more than others.

Suitokku was pacing back and forth like a tiger caught in a cage. His arms moved seemingly independent from his body, clapping his hands and making all sorts of nervous ticks. He was on edge and freaking out a bit. The large lad felt his heart beating in his throat, and there was still about twenty hours until the game. He couldn't even imagine what his nerves would be like at game time.

Loafing in one of his beanbag chairs with Calypso coiling around his shoulders Dante scolded, "Stop that… you look like yer wife's having a baby for Christ sakes…"

That stopped the maritime giant momentarily and he rolls his eyes. He threw up his hands in an exasperated sigh. "How are you not freaking out, not even a little bit? Our first game is tomorrow man!"

Dante lolled his head backwards to look at the pacing teen. "So…?"

"So! SO like aren't you nervous? Like not even a little bit?" asked the colossal teen.

Still staring back at the big bloke Dante rose an eyebrow and said slowly, "No… now quit it your pissing me off."

Suitokku was shaking his head in disbelief. "I can't believe you. How can you be so calm?"

The fiery foreigner chuckled and said, "Because I know what to expect unlike some of us."

The big blond frowned and said, "Well sorry that I've never been there and done that… jack ass…"

Dante simply cackled and replied, "Oh boohoo. Should I call you a wambulance while you sit down and pee?"

A stone faced scowl crossed his face and Suitokku grumbled, "Bite me dickhead…"

"No thanks… I don't want to catch what you have and grow a vagina…" the quick witted American rebutted.

Suitokku gritted his teeth together and let out a disgusted angry growl, throwing his hands in the air and turning away from his friend. Dante's low laugh in the background only served to make it worse.

"Oh just relax you big baby… you'll be fine. We're playing Nishi… Enma handled them in a scrimmage during the spring. We're stronger now so just calm the fuck down." reassured the rowdy red head. Calypso slithered around his shoulders and down his arm, her black tongue flickering passively, completely oblivious to the two's bickering.

Letting out a heavy sigh in attempt to calm himself, the big man said, "I just hope I can help the team."

A small smile crept onto Dante's lips and he said, "Good… keep that attitude. And be mean… scare the piss outta those linemen tomorrow."

The big ogre nodded and looked upward, thinking of tomorrow and hoping he could live up to expectations.

Sena was also pacing the floor of his apartment. He always got nervous before a game, regardless of the situation or level. It was just who he was. There were a lot of elements in tomorrow's game against Nishi that would be different then the last time. They had Kakei, Chuubou, and Suitokku now. Last time they faced Nishi they only had to face one formidable lineman while they themselves had Kurita and Mizumachi, but he heard a rumor that Nishi had another new rookie on the line that was impressing people. This news had him a little concerned but hopefully everything would work out.

However a rather enticing noise distracted him from his worry. The sound of the shower kicking on and an attractive voice called out to him from the bathroom, "Sena, care to join me?"

A chill ran up his spine and his face turned red at the thought. But a lewd little smile did find its way to his lips and he responded, "H-HAI!" The light speed runner then just about as quickly shed his shirt as he headed back the hallway. He crept into the bathroom closing the door behind him. Suzuna was already in the shower, the curtain drawn. Her feint silhouette outlined against the opaque plastic of the curtain. Stepping over her bra and panties he removed the rest of his own clothes before sliding into the shower.

She was facing away from him running her hands through her shimmering navy blue hair. The sight of her smooth back dripping wet from the stream of hot water made his blood pump just a bit faster than it already was. As his eyes naturally migrated south like a winter bird his face burned even brighter red.

The lithe cheerleader half turned her head to look at him, giving him a devious smile, "Still nervous about the game tomorrow there bright eyes?"

The brunette running back quickly repositioned his eyes and stammered, "W-what? Oh the game! Y-yes!"

This only caused Suzuna to laugh warmly, "Uh huh I bet." She tossed him a wink before turning to face him fully. Teasingly she held her hands over her breasts as she stepped over towards him, giving him a coy little smile as she did. "I dunno Sena, someone looks pretty red to me." She stopped short however as she felt something impeding her forward motion. Her mouth popped open in pleasant surprise… "Sena!" she lewdly teased.

His face was absolutely burning red at this point and he quickly covered himself. "S-sorry!" Even though they had slept together before he was still incredibly shy around her in these situations.

She giggled in lust and said, "You don't have to be sorry…" she moved her hands and leaned forward, pressing her ample bosom against his chiseled chest. Her hands traveled southward and she continued, "I take it as a compliment stud. That I can excite you like this…" she pulled him in for a deep kiss, sending all the blood he had to his face… and somewhere else. Tomorrow's game was the least of his worries at this moment.

Shidao was busily packing her last few things to move to her dorm room. With the help of her sister and some of the big strong lineman most of all her furniture and other heavy belongings had been moved earlier in the week to her new living area. All that was left was a few clothes, an alarm clock, amongst other things here and there. Her excitement was almost palpable as she went over to crush her stuffed monkey into her arms squealing, "Tomorrow is the day Raimonkey! We get to see Monta play in his first game of the season! And I officially move to Enma University tonight! Eeeeee!" The stuffed toy simply stared back with its quiet eyes and squeaked as it was squished against her.

Despite her sisters worries she had managed to find a curriculum that would fit her needs at Enma. But that flitter flutter in her stomach that had bubbled up from the move wasn't caused very much by the actual going to college part of it. Nope, it was Monta. That's what was filling her with excitement and anxiety all at once. Hopefully her sisters fears wouldn't prove true.

She gave the stuffed monkey one more big hug before saying to it, "Just one more bag to pack into the car for tomorrow!" She gently placed the stuffed animal on her bed before picking up the duffel bag and heading out the door. As she was carrying her bag to the car that unnervingly familiar voice broke her otherwise chipper mood.

"Shidao, hello! Well this is a coincidence isn't it?" Kohando greeted the mint haired girl as he was walking by on the street. He flashed her a glistening perfect white smile and brushed some of his long shiny black hair out of his face.

She stopped in her tracks almost literally flinching at the sound of his voice. She lowered her head and her meek voice spoke out hesitantly in reply, "H-hello Kohando…"

The handsome teen waltzed over and rested a hand on the picket fence lining her little yard. "Goin on vacation?" he nodded to the car with a smile.

Shidao clutched at her duffel bag as the man blocked her path to the car and she stammered, "N-no I'm going to C-college… I'm l-leaving later tonight."

He leaned over the fence with a look of surprise, "Tonight?! And without saying goodbye?" his face expressed hurt and sadness for a moment as he waited for a response.

Shidao didn't buy it, something was off with him. Taking a steadying breath she nodded and said, "Y-yes tonight… and s-sorry I didn't tell you… I didn't think of it…" Remaining polite was hard wired into her personality. She couldn't tell him she didn't tell him because she would be happy to never see him again, that would be rude; even if it was true.

Kohando suavely waved it off and said, "That's alright. At least I got to see you one last time before you headed off… how about you let me buy you a coffee before your ride hmm?"

She felt the blood rushing to her face, not because she was flattered or because she was embarrassed, but because she was scared. Unconsciously she took a step backwards. She had to come up with something quick. Her mind raced for an excuse, "S-sorry… I… I was just about to leave…"

Persistently the gorgeous pretty boy went on, "Oh surely you have a little bit to spare to have a drink with me before you go? For me?"

Again with that smile! A shudder ran down her spine and she fought the urge to grimace. Quickly she tried to find a proper excuse and her brain just went to Monta. Wait! Monta that was it! The mint haired girl gently moves some of her bangs behind her ear and said, "N-no it's not that. I just… pr-promised I'd meet my boyfriend for dinner… I have to leave soon or I'll be late." Oh please let him buy that. Please!

That made his golden smile twitch a bit at the corner. He paused momentarily and awkwardly replied trying to play it cool. "A boyfriend huh… c-congratulations then Shidao. Good for you!" he padded his hand on the fence posts and continued with a shifty gaze between her and his hand. "Anyone I know?"

Crap… now she had to say something so he'd at least be forced to leave her alone. "N-no… he goes to the college I got accepted to. He p-plays for their football team. His n-name is Taro Raimon…"

"Football?" he questioned in confusion. What the hell was that? Kohando's smile faltered and he waved a dismissive hand slowly, "Well never mind that, congratulations all the same… he's a lucky man." He forced his plastic smile again and stood up adding "Maybe I'll see you around sometime." Turning away he began to depart waving goodbye as he did.

When he was finally around the corner of the block Shidao breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank goodness that worked…" she mewled silently. Not wasting anytime she quickly went to the car to deposit her last bag. She was planning on leaving later that evening but not anymore. Wanting nothing to do with Kohando if he returned, she needed to get going now! The shy verdant girl hurried back inside to grab her last few things before running back to the car, jamming them inside, and hopping in the driver's seat. Shidao wasted no time in peeling out of there as fast as she could without it looking suspicious.

Around the corner Kohando watched as her car drove off into the distance. The dashing young gymnast scowled as she drove off. She had a boyfriend? A boyfriend!? Who the hell would she pick over him? He was handsome, some might even say ravishing! He had a smile that could melt any girl's heart and a physique to match. His intellect was at the top of his class and no one said no to him! No one!

The peeved pretty boy dove into his phone searching for this Taro Raimon and what made him such a big deal that the lovely Shidao would choose him over himself. It wasn't long until he traced the name to both Enma and Deimon's football teams. He growled to himself, "Tch! This football, just what the hell is it? And what makes him so impressive?" As he scrolled through the websites he found Enma's fall season schedule. "They have a game tomorrow do they…?" A wicked grin spread over his face and he snickered to himself. "Mayhaps I'll pay this Enma University dimwit a visit tomorrow and see what the big deal is all about…" With that he placed his phone back into his pocket and smoothed out his hair before placing that ever plastic smile back on his face.

And while proverbial storm clouds were brewing in the near future for tomorrow's game, the other side of the ball game were also discussing the role of the spoiler. Nishi's team captains all sat around a table. Kenshiro Hanada, the teams quarterback, was going over game footage of their game from the prior spring. "As you can see, Sena Kobayakawa number 21 is the main offensive threat… followed by Taro Raimon number 80, and then Riku Kaitani number 26."

Daisuke Hamatsu however leaned forward and said, "What about that American they added… we don't have any game film on him." He crossed his big burly arms and cleared his throat as he spoke.

At that Hanada responded dubiously, "He's a wild card to be sure… but all we have to go on is his statistics on Football Monthly's website… he's fast. Very fast! And strong too. The article lists him as the second coming of Seijuro Shin."

Daisuke leaned back into his chair and muttered, "Fucking fantastic…" He sighed deeply and then said, "And rumor has it they picked up another big lineman… Like Kurita wasn't enough of a fucking problem.

Hanada did say somewhat optimistically, "True but according to Football Monthly, he has almost no football experience. He should be able to be beaten by our superior technique. He might get by us occasionally, but I am not worried about him. I'm confident our newest member can handle him. Right Toru?" He looked across the table expectantly.

Toru Hamatsu gazed back at his quarterback and nodded grimly. His 6'4" frame was covered in muscle and his gnarly forearms were covered in scars. His squinty eyes seemed like they were closed as he stared back towards his team captain. "Don't worry Hanada… my brother and I will take care of him… You just worry about the American… and eyeshield 21…" The confidence in his voice spoke wonders about the man.

Daisuke nodded confidently and said, "Right, me and my little bro will handle things… one way or the other. You just light em up Hanny."

Hanada glanced between the both of them and sighed, "I hope you're right.


End file.
